Unwritten
by miilla
Summary: Maia's life is weird. She has a mother who's dating guys half her age, a father who left her for another man, and a crazy best friend. She comes to La Push to work for her uncle, but she finds so much more than just some extra pocket money. Embry/OC.
1. Life for rent

**Here's chapter one in my Embry imprint story. **

**I do not own any recognizable characters or other stuff. **

* * *

What the heck was I doing here? Outside. Alone. In the rain. In _La Push_. I had no idea where to go. This was absolutely ridiculous. Why would I trust mum? Since when did any of her plans go the way they were supposed to?

No one picked me up at the air port in Port Angeles

Reason: No one knew that I would be arriving today. Thank you, mum.

I had to pay for the cab _myself_. Great.

I had the wrong address, apparently the address I had didn't exist. So I had been dropped off by the cranky cab-driver _here_. And where is here? I have no idea.

So, I was never _ever_ going to trust mum with planning my travels anymore. _Never_. But how was I supposed to know that she'd screw up _again_? I mean… Well, it wasn't _just_ my fault. Okay, basically it was.

"_What's up this summer?" my eccentric best friend said as she collapsed on my bed. I grimaced, and could almost hear the covers of my books crack under her. Lena never cared about my books. _

"_Thinking about getting a job," I answered while I sat down (much more elegantly) next to her. _

"_Ugh," she grimaced. "Jobs are boring. And what would you do? Sell newspapers? Deliver pizzas?" _

"_Dunno, whatever," I said, not surprised by her lack of interest. _

"_Why would you want to _work_?" _

"_Need the money," I answered. Not all of us gets an allowance at the size of… something big, whatever. _

"_For what?" _

"_For everything. I don't want to be financially dependent on my mum," I said. Lena raised an eyebrow, looking at me as if I had spoken Greek, not English. _

"_Well, _I'm_ not working. Or covering your pizza-delivery-shifts. Or coming with you to entertain you, or –"_

"_I didn't expect you to, calm down. You can… be with Tony all you want this summer. Promise I won't interrupt," I said in a forced teasing tone. Lena stuck her tongue out at me. _

"_You're just jealous," she claimed. _

"_Sure I am." _

_Lena jumped up so she was sitting on her knees, putting her face just inches from mine with a triumphant grin. "You admit it," she grinned. _

_I smiled genuinely, praying for some higher might to just get a grip and _change_ Lena. She was honestly getting on my nerves. She had the last few years. I hated being around her when she was in that too-cheery mood, making fun of everything and everyone and not being considerate at all. I don't think she had been the one to change throughout the years, though. She was actually very cool, but I had changed. _

"_So. Chocolate, soda and chips. Got it all?" _

"_Kitchen." _

"_And movie?"_

"_Living room." _

"_You get the junk food, I'll get the film." _

_With that Lena was off my bed and out the door. _

_After two torturing hours of _Bridget Jones_ including _Special Features_, Lena decided it was time to go. I cleaned up all our mess, annoyed that she didn't even _offer_ to help. _

_I met mum in the kitchen, where she was having dinner for herself. _

"_Hungry?" she asked me. _

"_Nope," I answered, dragging myself up on the counter. Mum's eyes got wary and a little blank. I ignored it. She should be able to handle it by now. I did. "Do you have any idea where I could get a job for the summer?" _

_Mum frowned. _

"_It's… two weeks till the summer. You'll never be able to find one in time," she said. Darn. _

"_You sure?" _

"_Pretty much. You could try, though. But you should have begun much earlier –"_

"_Sure, thanks mum," I said, jumping down from the counter. Mum didn't look at me when I left the room, her eyes were glued to the kitchen counter where I had been sitting moments ago. She always got melancholic when I sat there, because my bastard of a father didn't use to like it. _

_Oh, yeah, my father left us for another man. _

_Weird, I know._

_Mum still got sad when she thought about it, but I had moved on. I moved on one month after he left us, and now it had been two years. Time to let it go. _

_The next day I went job-hunting. I walked around for three whole hours, asking on every single store I passed. And then I mean _every _store. The grocery-store, the one where they sold knitting- and sewing-thingies, lingerie-store (I sighed in relief when they turned me down), bathroom-stuff-store and many more. When I finally came home I was exhausted and tired, so I lay down in the couch watching _Friends_. _

_Mum came home from work carrying three, huge grocery-bags. Yes, from the shop that turned me down. Oh, joy. _

"_Guess what," mum asked. _

"_Say it," I grumbled. _

"_You know your uncle Horton?" _

As in "Horton hears a who"?

"_Who?" _

"_He lives in that Indian reservation in Washington. La Push." _

"_Uh-huh," I said, even though I had no idea what she was talking about. _

"_Well, he was looking for a part-time co-worker in his little shop this summer…" _

"_He is?" I croaked, sitting up, paying better attention now. I was liking the sound of this. _

"_So I said I'd ask you if you wanted to go," she continued. _

"_I do!" I said instantly. I got a job! I think... "Where did you say this place was?" _

"_Washington."_

"_Washington," I repeated, skeptically. That was… far from here. That meant no mum. No Lena. No dad trying to make me forgive him. "Washington," I said again, a smile creeping over my face. "That'll be fun," I concluded with. "Can you call… _Horton_" I said the name with a little difficulties, trying not to think about "Horton Hears a Who". "that I'll come?" _

"_Sure," mum said with a small smile. I darted for my room before she started musing about how much she'd miss me etc. etc. I collapsed on my bed, and my sadistic cat immediately took its place halfway on my stomach. No, seriously, it is sadistic. I swear, he's trying to tear my arm off. I've got three hundred scars on my arms from when he's playing with me. _

_That's Scramble for you. _

_I called Lena. _

"_Whazzup," Lena said in a thick voice. I rolled my eyes. _

"_What are you eating?" _

"_Cheetos. What is it?"_

"_I'm going to Washington," I said, grinning even though she couldn't see it. There was a long silence. "Lena? Are you there?" _

"_Washington?" she finally said. _

"_Yeah." _

"_Why…" she trailed off. "Oh. You're joking!" she said, laughing. "Good one, Maia." _

"_It's not a joke," I said. Another silence. _

"_Are you serious?" _

"_Yup. I'm working at my uncle's store." I realized I had no idea what kind of shop this was. _

"_But… Washington?" Lena said in disbelief. She had stopped eating now. _

"_Yeah. Mum hooked me up," I answered her. _

"_But… it's so far away. I won't see you all summer!" _

Well, that's part of the point.

_Okay, I didn't _really_ think that. I would probably miss her. _

"_It'll be fine. Maybe we could visit," I said, but I doubted it. Plane tickets were expensive. _

"_Maybe," Lena said weakly. I pushed away the guilt I felt for making her sad. She would survive, with Tony. _

"_See you tomorrow," I said. _

"_Sure. Bye, My." _

_I hung up with just a small lump in my throat. _

Yeah. So it's basically _just_ my fault. Sort of.

I sat down on a bench outside a worn shack and dropped my huge, full bag, suitcase and purse to the wet ground. I was soaking wet and I still had no clue where to go. I dug up my phone from my jeans pocket and tried _once again_ to call my uncle.

This time someone answered.

"Hello?" said a lazy voice in my ear.

"Um… hi," I said awkwardly. Was this the right number?

"Who are you?" said the voice. It sounded like it belonged to a very indolent girl.

"I'm… Maia," I said, making it sound like a question.

"Wrong number?" the girl asked rudely.

"I tried to call Horton," I peeped stupidly.

"Horton James?"

"Uh… yeah…" _Probably_.

"He's busy. Can I take a message?"

"Where is he? He was supposed to get me," I explained.

"Who are you?" the girl asked again.

"Maia Woods."

"Why is he getting you, and where?"

"Um… I'm supposed to stay at his house, and work at his store," I leered off. I heard a snort in the other end.

"_That_ Maya. He's on his way."

And with that she hung up.

Wow, I felt so welcome.

But she had said he was on his way. Hopefully she was speaking the truth.

I quickly stood back up, realizing that I felt much less miserable if I was walking, not just sitting. I grabbed my luggage and continued to walk aimlessly by the road, waiting for someone to pick me up. Hopefully _uncle Horton_ knew what I looked like, because I had no idea what kind of car to look after.

I heard the sound of one behind me, and turned around hopefully. It drove right past me, and didn't avoid the pond at the side of the road. The water splashed all over me, making me even wetter than before.

I tilted my head backwards, and squinted up into the raindrops.

"Thanks," I said through clenched teeth.

After about five more minutes another car came by, and I jumped away from the road just to be sure. But this one stopped, and I felt a great wave of relief when a somewhat familiar figure leaned over and opened my door.

"Madeline," he said. I could faintly recognize the rumbling voice and the almost innocent smile in the middle of a thin, tired face. Yup, I had definitely seen him before, though I couldn't remember where…

"Uncle Horton?" I asked to be sure. He nodded, and his smile widened. I smiled gratefully back. I pushed my luggage into the back seat, and got in front.

"You're wet," he noted.

_Duh_.

"Yeah. It's the rain. It does that to me," I said, a little sarcastically. Horton chuckled a little.

"Thanks for helping me this summer," he said.

"No problem," I said honestly. A silence followed. "So… I tried calling you," I said, trying to start a conversation.

"Oh. I… forgot my phone," he admitted sheepishly.

"A girl answered," I continued.

"Oh," he said in a different tone. "Must have been Melissa."

"Melissa…?" I asked. Horton looked at me.

"Your cousin," he hinted with a small smile.

"Oh, right."

_Huh_?

"You don't remember?"

I shook my head.

"Well, can't blame you. You were just… what, six years old the last time you were here?"

"I… don't remember," I said apologetically. He chuckled again.

"She can be a little direct. Do you remember Paul?"

"Um… no."

"He's your cousin too. He doesn't live at home, though. He's married."

Wow. I missed my own cousin's wedding. How lame is that?

"Why did I never hear of that?" I asked.

"Vegas," Horton said with a sad smile. I chuckled.

"Seriously?" I asked. Horton nodded, still looking a little sad. Well, what do you know? Cousin Paul was now my new role model. I'd always thought weddings were too much. I'd never wanted a _big white_ wedding, only the cake and a pretty dress. Vegas seemed like a good solution. A compromise.

Horton took my suitcase and big bag when we arrived at the house, and I took my smaller bag. I felt self-conscious as we entered the house, feeling that the water made my clothes completely see-through.

I rounded a corner, and suddenly my view was blocked. I jumped back, surprised. I _think_ it was a person. I tilted my head back and looked up… and up… and up… face!

"Wow," I breathed, instantly flushing bright red.

"Sorry," the guy said, flashing me a beautiful, apologetic smile. I blinked three times, just to see if he was still there. He was. He now frowned his perfect eyebrows, like he was wondering if I really was sane. "I'm Paul," he said, holding out his freakishly large hand. I brought my shivering (stupid!) hand up to his, and he grabbed it for a second.

"Maia," I answered, stifling a gasp. He sent me another smile (swoon) and motioned for me to move out of the way, so that he could leave. I automatically pouted, because I didn't want him to leave.

"See you around," Paul said, waving shortly as he walked out the door. I stared at it stupidly for a few seconds, till I heard a snort behind me. I spun around, embarrassed to be caught staring and – possibly – drooling at a door.

I only saw the back of a red-haired head disappear down the stairs. Melissa?

I shook my head slightly before I followed the way that Horton had gone, and ended up in the kitchen. I found my luggage on the floor and Horton nowhere to be seen. What a weird place this was. I heard a low voice from the other door in the kitchen – yes, there was two, one in each end – so I went over there. The door was open just a crack, and I pushed it open without thinking about it.

It was some sort of office. There were no windows, and it was tiny and smelled like dust and tobacco. It made me feel cooped up just standing in the doorway.

Horton jumped to his feet when he saw me, as if he hadn't expected me. He had a phone pressed to his ear and looked impatiently at me.

"Um… where can I sleep?" I asked weakly, feeling that I had stepped over some sort of boundary line.

"Melissa will show you," he said curtly, but with a polite smile. I nodded, and he turned his back at me again, talking hurriedly and quietly into the phone. Looked like my dad used to when he had important business-calls, only Horton owned a small shop. What kind of important calls could that make?

I left my luggage where it was, and walked down the stairs I had seen the red-head disappear down. The steps creaked loudly as I walked, and I heard Melissa's grumpy voice before I reached the floor.

"What do you want?" she asked rudely.

"Your dad said you'd show me my room," I said politely, stopping where I was. It didn't sound like she wanted me in there. In the bottom of the stairs there was a door, so I couldn't see into the room.

"Through the hall and up the stairs by the hat-and-coat stand. First door on your right," she answered lazily. Well, she _did_ answer, at least.

I muttered a thank you, go my things in the kitchen and followed her instructions. I ended up in a tiny room with a cot and a tired shelf. No closet.

Great.

I let my things fall to the non-existing free floor space, and sat down at my bed.

Why the heck did I want a job?

* * *

**So, that was first chapter! **

**It's not very good, I think, but I'm trying. And I think it will get better in later chapters. **

**I've already started the second, but reviews are always a good inspiration! **

**Thanks!! **


	2. I hate dogs!

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

I wasn't going to start working before Monday, so the first morning I slept in. When I got up, I realized that I was alone in the house. I found a note on the kitchen table saying that Horton was out fishing.

Paul didn't live here (sigh) and Melissa… well, I didn't expect her to care enough to tell _anyone_ where she was. I hadn't even seen her face, and she was obviously determined to hate me already. This would be a great eight weeks.

After a brief breakfast I went out. I brought my phone and some money, in case I would need it. It wasn't raining as much today, so I left my rain jacket at home, taking my demine-jacket instead.

I still had no idea what was uncle Horton's store, but I had a feeling it wasn't very big. I decided _not_ to go look for it, seeing that it wouldn't be open anyway. It was Sunday, and the only open shop I found was a tiny kiosk, so I bought one of those little juice-boxes just to buy something.

I sat down on a bench, deciding to call Lena, since I had nothing better to do. She answered on the second ring.

"Maia?" she asked immediately.

"Still alive," I answered.

"Mazie! I was _so_ worried! You didn't call me!"

"Busy," I replied.

"With your job?"

"Don't start till tomorrow. No, I was just busy."

"How's the family?" Lena asked, calming down a bit.

"Weird. I swear, they're totally strange."

"Why? Do they drink blood for breakfast? Or eat dead bodies? I know! They feed on bogeys!"

"They… wait. What?" I asked, holding back a laugh.

"I mean, if they do, then you should get away from there," Lena said seriously.

"You're weird."

"It runs in the family. Now, tell me about Horton and the who's," she demanded.

"Horton is nice, but totally weird. He was like nice first, but then he was on the phone and he was suddenly dismissing and rude. I swear, it was so strange. And then there's Melissa, and she's a bitch. I haven't even seen her yet. Even on the phone she sounded like she hated me like poison. And Paul, he's the oldest, he's _gorgeous_!"

"Like hot-gorgeous?" Lena asked excitedly.

"You should have _seen_ him," I assured her.

"Is he –"

"He's married," I said in a sad voice.

"Well, _darn_," Lena groaned disappointedly.

"Your turn," I told her.

"My turn what?"

"Tony?"

"Oh," she said, sounding like she smiled sheepishly. "Nothing, yet. But I'm working on it. Give me time."

"Oh. Sure. Didn't you say that about your last three crushes? And then they –"

"Started dating someone else, yeah, yeah, heard it before," she cut me off. "But this time I'm serious. I heard he was going to the mall tomorrow with Marlie, and so I figured if I bring my –"

"Marlie? Lena, it's already too late!" I exclaimed.

"No, it's not, listen," Lena insisted. "See, I have my cousin come over, you know the hot one? If we weren't related I wouldn't have wasted my time on Tony. But, anyway, when Tony sees me with Will, he'll be so jealous that he'll dump Marlie on the spot and choose me instead! And Marlie can have Will, I don't care."

"You know that's not going to work, right?" I asked, laughing slightly at her stupid plans. Tony probably didn't even know Lena's name. In her head he did, of course, and he also had a _major_ crush on her. No, he _loved_ her unconditionally, I guess it was.

"It will," she assured me. "You'll see."

"I will. I'm right, you know," I snickered. "But I'll still let you cry on my shoulder when Tony completely ignores you tomorrow. That's what I'm here for."

"That's what you're in Washington for?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

"Gotta go. Talk to you later, Crazy-Mazie." I didn't choose that name.

"Yup. Love you," I told her before I hung up.

It took me one sip of juice and thirteen boring seconds to find something to do next. I dialed mum's number automatically. It rang four times before she answered.

"Hello?" she asked in a stressed voice.

"Hi, it's me," I said. Yeah, yeah, I know, "me" can be anyone, but in this case it was _me_.

"Madeline," mum breathed.

"Are you busy?"

"Sort of," she said in an distant voice.

"Oh. I just wanted to say that I've arrived safely," I said. No need to mention her poor skills in planning. "And that you forgot to mention my cousins."

"That's great, Maia," mum mumbled, distracted. "I guess I forgot."

_Guess so_.

"I'll call you later, then," I told her, sadly. She told me goodbye, and hung up.

This was going to be a _very_ long eight weeks.

A job?

Seriously?

I guess I never thought this through good enough, how staying all summer in _Washington_ would become a problem. And on an Indian reservation. At home I stood out with my tanned skin, but her I just fit right into the crowd.

I started walking home. I could pass my time reading or something. It was getting cold here anyway.

Suddenly I heard barking from behind me. I tensed at once, and started walking faster. I didn't dare turn around, and waited for some sort of miracle that would make the nasty little creature go somewhere else, _away_ from me.

Something sandy-colored leaped up around and in front of me, and I froze in my pace. The dog watched me with huge, dark eyes and a pinkish tongue hanging out of its mouth. I gulped, taking one step back.

Then it jumped closer to me, putting its paws on my thighs. I only avoided screaming because I couldn't breathe, and I felt myself make a startled little gag as I made my legs move another step backwards.

"Boomer!" called a voice from behind me. Someone was coming for my rescue! The dog reacted to the call, but didn't step down. I stumbled another step backwards as someone hurried past me, grabbing the dog by the band around its neck, fastening a leash to it. "Sorry about that. He's actually really nice," said the person. I quickly moved my eyes from the dog to my savior. It was a boy who looked like he was my age. He was taller than me and had a pretty impressive bunch of muscles that made him look sturdy, but at the same time lean. But what really caught my attention was his bright, blue eyes, looking sort of misplaced in his tanned face.

"Oh," I said stupidly.

"I usually don't let him loose. He's not used to it, so I guess he got a little overexcited," he continued explaining, and I stared dumbly at him while my mind mused over why La Push was filled with all these gorgeous guys.

"Oh," I repeated. The guy smiled at me, then he narrowed his eyes a little.

"You're not related to Melissa and Paul James, are you?" he asked me with a crooked smile, like he had just figured out a secret on his own.

"Uh, yeah. I'm their cousin. I'm Maia," I said, stuttering a little. Great, he must think I was completely retarded. But he grinned wider now that I proved him right, and held out his hand.

"I'm Gabe," he told me. I took his hand hesitantly. He had a strong hold on mine. Lena's father would approve of him, I realized. He always liked the ones with a sturdy hand-shake.

"You look a lot like Melissa," he noted. I couldn't agree, because I still hadn't seen her. That's kind of miserable, never having seen your own cousin. But I couldn't be blamed. "Only your hair is different. But hers is dyed, I think."

I nodded, because I thought so too. That read color didn't look natural.

"Gab_riel_!" called a hysterical voice. I spun around to see a girl come running towards us. She looked tired , desperately swinging her arms around like a maniac, and she wasn't a very fast runner.

When she came closer I saw that she was quite pretty. She had almond-shaped eyes that was just the right size, full lips and long, curly black hair. I cursed for myself. Was there something in the water here? Why was everyone so damn pretty?

"Who the fuck is she?" the girl asked as she approached us, panting. Again with the warm welcoming. I ignored it, and said with a shy smile;

"I'm Maia," I said.

"She's Melissa and Paul's cousin," Gabe explained. The girl frowned.

"Great. Because we _so_ love them."

Gabe rolled his eyes. "This is Caroline," he told me.

"Just Cara," she corrected, grabbing my hand roughly and shaking it a couple of times. "So. What are you doing here?" she asked rudely.

"I'm… working," I said honestly.

"What, are you crazy?" Carol… Cara asked me, frowning deeper.

Gabe rolled his eyes again, leaning closer.

"Don't mind her," he told me, smiling. I smiled back, almost breathless by the closeness.

_Amazing. _

_I just killed three hundred brain cells in about half a second_.

"She is really very nice," Gabe added. I smiled, pretending that I believed him.

"You're working?" Cara asked me skeptically.

"Yeah. At my uncle's shop."

"The one where they sell those creepy little souvenirs?" she asked with a wrinkled nose.

"I… guess?"

Gabe laughed.

I liked his laugh.

"You're weird," Cara told me matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," I mumbled at the same time as Gabe ruffled her hair playfully.

"And you're one to talk?"

Great.

They're together.

Are there any single guys in this town… reservation?

"So," said Gabe, trying to start a conversation again. "You don't like dogs?" Well, that was one way of doing it.

"Not really," I said, shooting 'Boomer' a wary glance. He was breathing fast and eagerly with his icky tongue hanging out. I could see that he was just _dying_ to let his sharp teeth sink into my skin.

Monster.

"Why is that?"

"Because I just don't."

"Dogs aren't dangerous," Cara said with a snort.

"You're afraid of heights, you _still_ shouldn't be talking," Gabe reminded her. She shot him an annoyed look. I smiled weakly. What a weird couple.

"Whatever. I'm leaving."

And with that she stalked off. Gabe started following her, and I watched him sadly. I was alone again. Still no social life in this godforsaken place. I was actually a social flop, I realized. Not even these weirdos wanted my company –

"Are you coming?" Gabe asked, cutting off my thought process for a second. I suddenly grinned widely.

"Sure," I said cheerfully.

* * *

**And... enter weird friends. **

**I always like reviews! **

**Oh, do you know what I realized last night? **

**That I missed a good chance to rub this in someone's faces:**

**NORWAY WON EUROVISION SONG CONTEST!! HA HA! **

**Okay, I'm done. **

**Though, seriously, I hate the song we won with. I liked it in the beginning, but they've been playing it non-stop on the radio for months now. Ugh. **


	3. Paper maniac

**Here's an update, if you didn't already notice. **

**I have great news. I don't own Twilight. **

**Why it's great news? **

**Because I would probably have killed half of the characters a long time ago because of an intense PMS-attack. **

**Yeah. **

* * *

"You've _never_ met them before?" Gabe asked me, surprised.

"Nope, not that I remember," I answered. "I didn't even know Horton or Paul or Melissa even existed before two weeks ago. Well, I guess I forgot that they existed. Or, I didn't know Paul and Melissa existed before yesterday, actually," I said, frowning.

"That's sort of miserable," Cara commented.

I nodded, already getting used to Cara's out-turned nature. "Tell me about it." I sipped my Coke, leaning back in the couch in the diner.

"So, you don't even know anything about them?" Gabe asked. I shook my head. "I guess we should tell you, then."

"Like she won't figure it out. She's living with the demon herself," Cara cut in.

"Melissa?" I asked.

"Duh."

"She's always been very bitter –"

" – and rude."

"Not very social –"

" – she doesn't have _any_ friends."

"But she's not a trouble-maker or anything."

"On the inside she is. I swear she was thinking about killing me once," Cara said honestly.

"That might be because you crashed her car?" Gabe hinted. I blinked.

"You crashed her car?" I asked in disbelief, not able to hold back my mischievous grin.

"I _accidently_ _drove into_ her car, because she had parked it in a funny way. It only got this tiny little dent, not very visible," Cara defended herself.

"Don't listen to her," Gabe advised me, and I smiled. "Anyway, Paul is –"

"Hot," Cara cut him off, grinning stupidly at me. I felt that my smile also turned a little goofily as I looked back at her, and quickly tried to hide it. I didn't want Gabe to think that I was completely shallow.

"Right. He's in this gang, and they call themselves for 'the protectors'." It was clear that Gabe wasn't particularly fond of "the protectors", he got a weird grimace on his face when he said this. "But I swear, those guys are on steroids. There's even rumors going around that they're drug dealers."

"And they're all like, extremely big and _hot_," Cara repeated.

"What, drug dealers?" I asked, ignoring Cara.

"It's just a rumor," Gabe said. "But there's _something_ funny going on there. It's not normal."

"What about…" I swallowed. "his wife?"

"Rachel," Gabe helped me.

"Right."

"He's not the only one with a girl," Cara cut in. "They're pretty many by now. Sam Uley has Emily, and then there's Jared Gray and Kim Connweller, and Jacob Black with that freakishly pale girl, and also a little girl that I don't know the name of. She is with them a lot too."

"What do they do?"

"They walk around like they own the place," Gabe said, sounding annoyed.

"Weird."

"I'll say," Cara said. "I would _never_ hang out with those guys. Not even if I was paid for it, which I highly suspect that those girls are."

"How many are there?"

Gabe frowned thoughtfully.

"Sam Uley, Paul James, Jared Gray, Jacob Black, Embry Call, Quil Ateara, Seth and Leah Clearwater, Collin Palmer, Brady Walker and their… partners, I guess, Kim Connweller, Emily Young, Rachel Black, and then there's Claire or something. I think she's Emily's niece."

"Wow," I said, trying to save it all in my brain. It didn't stick. "That's many."

"Yeah."

"And drug dealers?"

"That's _just_ a rumor. But the steroids-part is almost a fact," Gabe said certainly. _Almost_ a fact, actually, I thought dryly. When something became _almost_ a fact, the part with 'fact' lost some of its original meaning.

"Huh," I just said.

And Paul had seemed so nice.

"What about uncle Horton?"

Cara snorted. "Harmless guy. I don't think he could even squash a spider if he tried."

"He's a bit weird, but nice, I guess," Gabe said.

"Yeah, that was what I thought too," I told them thoughtfully.

I got home just in time for dinner. Horton was sitting alone by the table, but he had set out plates for three. I sat down, suspiciously trying to figure out what was in the huge bowl in the middle of the table. I got no wiser.

Melissa came stalking into the kitchen, and I saw what Gabe had meant about me looking like her. She had the same greenish eyes as me, and her lips looked like mine too. Only hers was a little fuller. Lucky me, my lips were almost non-existing. She also had my eyebrows. But that was where the similarities ended. Her hair was different, definitely colored though, and her skin was a little more tanned than mine.

"I'm bringing my food downstairs," she said without even looking at me once. I got a little annoyed by that, but kept my mouth shut.

"So," Horton said as soon as Melissa was gone. I looked up from my food, relieved that I could put out eating it for a few more seconds. "Did you get any new friends today?"

"Yeah, sort of. Gabe and Cara, do you know them?"

"Not well. They're good kids, I guess," he said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, they're nice," I agreed, lingering. "So… does Paul hang out here a lot?"

"He comes by now and then," Horton said with a shrug.

"Cool." Another look at the grimy food. "I'm not really hungry," I lied. "I ate at the diner with Cara and Gabe."

"Oh," Horton said, sounding disappointed. I washed my dishes, and escaped to my room. Tomorrow I would be starting my job, so at least I didn't have to worry about another boring day. Okay, today hadn't really been boring. Only things never really got to me the way it got to others. I wasn't easily impressed.

But I had to admit; Gabe was sorta kinda interesting. I found myself looking forward to see him again, and that was really not like me.

Cara had been right about uncle Horton's shop. It wasn't big, but it was overfilled with tiny little picture-frames, post-cards, wolf-figures, magnets, caps', t-shirts and everything else that you usually find in a souvenir-shop. It also contained every sort of paper. Photo paper, t-shirt print paper, A4-paper, A5- and A3-paper, blue paper, red paper, rainbow paper, striped paper, paper with other sorts of pattern, round paper and even a football made out of paper. I swear, it was intense. I was now sitting behind the desk, alone, taking my shift.

I was bored out of my skin.

I called mum twice, only to get her very unoriginal voice-mail:

_Here comes the beep. You know what to do._

And then Lena:

_Hello!_ Long pause, so everyone thought that she actually picked up the phone. Then: _Kidding. I'm not here. If you're dad; HAHA! If you're Mazie; I'm with people that are much more interesting than you. Go and be needy with someone else. If you're mum; Wow, that's amazing. I'll call you later!_

And then there was a beep.

Yeah, a very long voice-mail, and it made most people chuckle, so she always got very happy messages. And, for the record, Lena's mum died while giving birth to Lena, so that was just an inside joke.

Around three o'clock I had my first customers. I jumped up, trying to look presentable. It was three old ladies, obviously tourists. They looked around for almost fifteen minutes, and one of them ended up with buying a tea-set that said "La Push".

Bo-ring!

But I smiled nicely, because they did, after all, leave money.

Three hours left.

I leaned over the desk, resting my head in my arms. This. Was. Completely. Miserable. A job? Seriously? How stupid could I get?

I was drifting between sleep and awake when the door opened again, and I instantly jumped up. A familiar voice made me stand up on my tip-toes to see over the highest shelves to the door.

"Cara!" I said loudly, to get her attention.

"Oy! You're far!" Cara yelled back, grinning. The door opened again, and Gabe came in. They came over to me, walking slalom between the shelves. I noticed a slightly more unwelcome guest come waggling happily behind Gabe.

"And you brought Boomer," I said, trying to maintain my smile. "Great."

They both laughed.

"He won't hurt you," Gabe told me again.

"I know," I assured him with a wary look at the little monster. Its grey fur was wet and stinky. It smelled like wet dog. _Well, duh_.

"Are you done her soon?"

"Um… one and a half hour," I said, checking the clock.

Cara whined.

"But that's forever!" she complained.

"You can stay here if you want," I said. Then I pointed to Boomer. "But he can't."

"Why?" Gabe asked.

"Besides the obvious," I said, pointing to myself. "That." I moved my finger to the sign saying "no dogs allowed inside". They glanced at it briefly, then Gabe smiled widely.

"If he's leaving, so are we."

"He doesn't have to leave. Just… tie him to something outside."

"Same."

"Don't be difficult," I said.

"_You_ take him out, then."

"Ha-ha," I said, frowning.

"Why are you afraid of him, anyway?" Cara asked me. Curious, not concerned.

"Not _afraid_. I just don't like him." Why did they always bring up my dislike towards dogs?

"If I promise you he won't do anything bad?" Gabe pleaded.

Define _bad_.

But I didn't want to be looked at as a poor sport, seeing that this were my only "friends" on this place, so I reluctantly shrugged and slumped back into my chair.

"Just… put him over there or something. Away from the shelves."

"As you wish."

Gabe dragged the disgusting animal away from me (thank God), to the stairs that led down to the mini basement.

"Any luck with charming Paul into a divorce yet?" Cara asked me. I looked at her, confused. It took me a few seconds to ask;

"What?"

Cara shrugged. "Nothing. Just thinking it could come in handy. I mean, 'cause he's like, in that _gang –_"

"That's disgusting, Cara," Gabe called from the other end of the store.

"Jealous, are you?" Cara yelled back. Unwillingly, I felt hope flutter in my chest. I didn't really _think_ he was jealous, I mean, duh, but, oh, how I wished he was… But he had Cara. They were the perfect match, filling each other in.

"Because he's her _cousin_," Gabe hinted Cara with a slight smile as he rounded the closest shelves to us. He rolled his eyes at me, and I clenched my teeth and smiled back.

"_Still_ would have come in handy," Cara grumbled. I forced myself to roll my eyes so it didn't show how much I agreed with her. I had never been this crazy for boys at home. But maybe that was because Lena took all the good ones…

"What are we doing later?" Cara suddenly asked, jumping on top of the counter.

"What's there to do here?" I asked, while pushing her down.

"Fine, be like that!" Cara snapped, jumping down. She suddenly caught a glimpse of my hand, and yanked it to her. "What the heck happened to your hand?" she demanded, holding my arm so that she could see all the scrapes and scars.

"My cat is murderous," I said honestly. Gabe snickered.

"The other one, too," he noted, pointing to my other hand. I nodded sheepishly.

"That's just intense," Cara muttered, letting go. "You let your cat basically feed of your arms, but you won't even let Boomer close to you?" she asked, her tone accusing.

"Scramble isn't evil. He's just a kitten who likes to play," I defended.

"Scramble?" Cara asked skeptically.

I smirked. "Yes, do you have a problem with it, _Caroline_?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, no, of course not."

Just then the door opened again, and I smiled widely, excitedly. Maybe I got to sell two things today.

"What's this, like your third customer today?" Cara asked after seeing my reaction.

"Second," I answered her with a goofy grin. Gabe let out a short laugh, and Cara rolled her eyes.

"We told you," she reminded me.

I stood on my tip-toes (to see over those darn shelves) to check out who had come in, and caught a glimpse of two women.

"What did you sell earlier?"

"Be quiet! I need to concentrate!"

"On what?"

"Mental convincing. I'm trying to send some spare brain-waves over to them so that they buy all this crap. Be quiet."

"What?"

"Shush!" I snapped again, but I couldn't hold back my smile at Cara's dumb folded expression. "I sold a tea-set," I told them.

"Wow, how interesting," Cara said sarcastically.

"I _know_," I answered jokingly. "Oh, look, they're coming over! Get lost, Cara," I mumbled.

"Wha –"

"I need to give them a good impression! Go away!"

Cara sent me a death-glare before she turned and walked to one of the shelves. Gabe winked at me (swoon) before he followed.

"Excuse me, is Horton here?" said a voice beside me, and I looked to it, noticing that the two women were already by the counter. I flinched at the sight at the one to the right, who had scars on one side of her face. She stared back at me, like a challenge, and I blinked several times.

I turned my eyes to the other woman, the one who had talked. Swallowing at the embarrassment I stuttered:

"No, he's not. I… uh… I'll be working here this summer. I mean, not in the week-ends and Fridays, then he'll be here. Except Sundays, because then it's closed. But I guess you already knew that, since you know Horton."

_Too much information at once, Maia_.

Thos scars freaked me out!

I smiled sweetly to better the impression.

"Oh, he didn't tell me about that," the woman answered frowning.

"Oh. Can I… take a message?"

"No, it's okay, I'll give him a call instead," she answered, smiling slightly.

A movement caught my eyes, and I saw Gabe waving his arms frantically at me. I raised one eyebrow, and he mouthed something. I shook my head slightly, and he did it again, exaggerating the movement.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, way too loudly, and the two women, who had turned to leave, glanced at me over their shoulders. "You're Rachel?" I asked.

The one _without_ scars turned with a frown.

"Yeah, I'm Rachel. How do you know?"

"So you're Paul's wife?"

She nodded slowly, probably curious as to why a girl she'd never seen before knew even that about her.

"I'm his cousin," I explained.

"Oh," she said in a lighter voice. "Yes, he told me about you. Mara?"

"Maia, actually," I answered a little bitterly. He didn't even remember my name. And I wonder what he had told her. I hadn't exactly acted the _opposite_ of retarded when we met. I mean, drooling and staring pretty much made it okay for him to think of me as the biggest loser _ever_.

"Right," Rachel smiled. "He didn't say you were working here, though."

"That's okay, I didn't even know he existed before two days ago."

Rachel let out a short laugh. "Well, we better get going. Nice meeting you, _Maia_," she said, emphasizing my name to prove that she knew it now. She and the other woman, who had looked sort of awkward when I was talking to Rachel, turned and walked out.

Why did Paul's wife have to be so _nice_?

I had no chance in the world now. Oh, well, I guess I should be happy with Gabe.

_*Snort.*_

Like I _had_ Gabe. He was with Cara. Duh!

Gabe came over to the counter again.

"You're so slow," he commented. I snorted.

"You're not distinct enough!"

"Whatever. Didn't they buy anything?"

"No, they wanted to see Horton , and I couldn't take a message. I guess I'm not _important_ enough to know such sensitive information," I said with a false pout. We were interrupted by the annoying sound of my ringtone (which happened to be a song by Jonas Brothers), and the disappointment washed over me.

If it was mum, I was going to kill her.

She was taking my talking-to-Gabe-time!

But it was Lena.

"I have to take this," I told Gabe, and he held up his hands as if to say it was okay, before he joined Cara who was comparing the paper ball to the one made of glass.

"Hi, Lena."

"Mazie! How's work? And how's your boogie-eating family? Kidding. But have you sold anything yet? Can you get me a La Push-t-shirt?"

"Yes. Good. Good. I know. Yes, a tea-set. Really don't want to, but okay," I reeled off. There was a pause in the other end, then a confused:

"Huh?"

I laughed. "Work is okay, and the family is fine. I sold a tea-set to some old ladies. It said La Push, and we have t-shirts too. What's your size?"

"Same as yours. Can I have a blue one?"

"Sorry, we only have pink and orange."

"Wha –"

"Kidding. Sure, blue's fine."

"Funny, Mazie," she snorted. I laughed.

"How are things going with Tony?"

I heard an unhappy sound.

"Bad. I guess he's serious about this Marlie-girl. But she's not pretty at all. I mean, did you see her nose? It was huge!"

"Calm down, Lena, maybe he likes big noses."

"Doubt it. Mine's much prettier. It's small and cute. Don't you think?"

"Never really thought of it," I answered honestly.

"Well, it is," she said stubbornly. Then she sighed. "How about your lover-boy?"

"Lover-boy?"

"_Paul_."

"He's _married_," I hissed, lowering my voice so that neither Cara nor Gabe could hear me.

"Ever heard of jealousy? Just… flirt or something with someone else. It'll drive him crazy."

"No, it won't."

"Yes, it will," she answered confidently.

"Besides," I added. "There's more than one hot guy here."

"Tell me!" she demanded at once. I laughed lowly.

"Can't. He's here. But he's busy too."

"Married?"

"Nope."

"Good. Take him instead. Is the girl a bitch? It's not a boy, is it?"

"It's a girl, but she's great. I wouldn't. But still…"

"I totally understand you, Mazie."

I felt a flood of warmth towards Lena. Sure, she annoyed the crap out of me sometimes, but she was really a very loyal friend, and I found myself missing her. I honestly hadn't expected that.

"I miss you, Lena," I told her in a sad voice.

"I miss you too," she answered. And there followed an awkward silence. One… two… three… "Okay, enough of this mushy-gushy stuff. Was there anything else you wanted to say, or can I go back to my cheetos?"

* * *

**I love cheetos!!**

**I'm going camping! **

**I'm bringing cheetos to the tent-camp-place-thing!**

**Tomorrow's my last day of school before _two months_ of vacation! **

**Uh...**

**I think that's it. **

**That's all my good news for now. **

**Oh, wait, one more. **

**Next chapter: enter Embry!! **

**So, what do you think of this so far?? I _really_ want to hear your opinion, because it's hard to judge your own work...**

**Okay, so review if you want to make me happy. **

**And tell me:**

**What's better, potato chips or cheetos? **


	4. Dinner plans

**Yup, here's an update for you. **

**I don't own anything. **

**Okay, I do, I own this new sleeping bag, it's black on the outside and red on the inside. And it's so incredibly warm, you wouldn't even imagine. I love it! **

**And I think I also own this white shirt that I'm wearing at the moment, though my mum keeps stealing it. She doesn not look good in it. **

**But I steal her clothes all the time, so I can't blame her. **

**Whatever!**

* * *

"I met Rachel today," I said to Horton at dinner-time. I really didn't want to eat that sick-looking pasta he had put in front of me. He looked up from his food.

"Yeah, she told me that. She called me," he explained. "She wanted to invite us over to Emily and Sam's for dinner tomorrow."

I almost spat my juice all over the table.

"Emily and Sam?" I stuttered, my voice suddenly shivering.

"Yeah, you heard of them? Really nice people. You'll like Emily."

Sam, like, leader of that sick gang?

"I guess," I muttered.

Great. Just great.

"Why would _Rachel_ ask?"

"They're like one big family," Horton said with a faint smile. "And everyone's welcome at Emily's."

"Cool."

I gulped down the rest of my dinner, drowning it with three liters of juice, then I escaped to my room. I decided to call Lena again, to talk to her about Gabe. I was desperate now. After work I'd spent the afternoon and evening at the beach with him and Cara, and now I wanted him more than ever.

It was like every move I made I did it self-consciously, because I wanted him to think of me in one certain way. At the same time I knew that I _couldn't_ have him, because he was with Cara… It was all so soap-opera dramatic that it made me sick.

I couldn't find my phone, of course. Just my luck. I had lost it. I thought back, and remembered that I'd given it to Cara, because I had no pockets and I didn't want to bring my bag from the car to the beach.

Great.

Cara had my phone.

She better treat it nicely…

I went back downstairs, finding Horton still at the dining table.

"Hey, can I borrow a phone? Cara has mine."

He looked up. "We don't have a house-phone. Why don't you ask Melissa?"

_Or I can borrow yours? I know you have a cell-phone because you made your oh-so-secret phone-calls the day I came her_… But I didn't say that.

"Um. Sure." Instead I walked to the stairs that led to the basement. I walked to the door, which was closed, and knocked twice.

"Melissa?" I called, her name sounding weird on my tongue. "Can I borrow your cell-phone? I need to call Cara."

No answer.

"Melissa?"

Still nothing.

I hesitantly touched the doorknob, half expecting an alarm to go off. It didn't, so I went inside.

I came into a messy, but not unclean room. There were clothes and books all over the floor, making it hard for me to see the real color of the carpet. There was one huge double-bed, where the sheets and covers were untidy and messy, and an overfilled desk. There was only one light on, and that was on the nightstand, and the windows were covered up so no outside-light came in.

Wow, this is one depressive teenager.

A door I hadn't noticed yet suddenly burst open, and a flare of red hair appeared. Melissa stopped in her pace, shocked to see me. She instantly hid something behind her back.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice thick.

"I… um. Can I borrow your phone? I seem to have misplaced mine."

Melissa snorted. She pushed her hair back and straightened her shirt.

"Typical. Just take it. It's on the desk."

I looked helplessly over at the said desk, and didn't even want to attempt to find anything in that mess. Melissa sighed loudly. She walked over to it, shoving a few books and sheets of paper to the floor and then turned to hand me her cell phone.

Just when her face was in the right angle, towards the lamp on the nightstand, I noticed that her eyes were red and swollen. I bit back a nosy question.

"Leave it in the kitchen when you're done with it."

"Sure. Thanks. I won't ring away all your money, I just need to call Cara, 'cause she has _my_ phone, and –"

"Whatever. Can you leave?" she asked rudely.

"Sure," I gulped. I couldn't see her face in the dark, but I was pretty sure she was glaring at me with an annoyed expression written all over. I swallowed my curiosity once again, and went back upstairs.

No one answered when I called my own phone. Well, I guess that's a good thing, she didn't answer calls from unidentified numbers.

Since I also didn't have Cara's number, it took me some time to find it in Yellow Pages. I was not used to those huge books, since I, at home, had my own computer and internet and I had all the numbers I needed on my phone.

"Yello'," said Cara's voice.

"Yellow?" I asked.

"Maia?"

"Cara?" I copied her, smirking to myself.

"What?"

"What?"

"_What_?"

"Huh?"

"What!?"

I laughed. I loved doing this.

She groaned.

"Stop doing that! You confuse me!"

"I know, it's fun. Do you have my phone?"

"Yup. Right here. I've taken good care of it. And, I swear, that scratch was there before I got it."

I paused. "What?"

"There's this one scratch that goes right over the screen. But I taped it together, so it won't fall apart again."

"Cara!" I whined.

"Maia!" she copied me.

"Cara!"

"I'm kidding, relax."

I made a pouting sound. "You're mean."

"I guess that's one of our common treats. But, whatever, do you have to work tomorrow too?"

"Yeah. I told you, Monday to Thursday, nine to six."

"Right. Wanna do something after?"

I was about to accept, but then I remembered that Horton had made us dinner plans. And there my moods sank again. I moaned quietly, sinking into my bed.

"I can't. Rachel called uncle Horton, and we're going to dinner. With Sam and Emily."

"WHAT?" she exclaimed.

"We're going to have dinner with S –"

"I got that. This is…" she paused, looking for the right words. I could help her. Disastrous. Horrible. Very, _very_ bad. "Amazing!"

I frowned, though she couldn't see it. "I must have missed the part that is _amazing_. Care to fill me in?"

"Duh, Maia, you get to see them from the inside! I would _so_ have joined you if I could! You haven't _seen_ those guys. I swear, they're just as hot as Paul. It's incredible. You'll be like a spy! Like the _luckiest_ spy _ever_!"

"I don't want to be a spy," I whined.

"Grow up. It'll be fun."

"But you said they're… like, a gang! What if they shoot me? Or kidnap me and hold me there for ransom?"

"They're not like _that_, stupid. They're actually sort of nice."

"That's not what you said before," I said matter-of-factly.

"Forget what we said. They're not bad people, sort of. I don't think they go around killing people."

"You don't _think_?" I exclaimed.

"Don't be a baby. It will be fine. Just… don't be alone with any of them. Try and have Melissa or your uncle close all the time. And _do not_ accept anything that might look like drugs or anything else, and be careful so no one puts anything in your drink."

"This is _not_ helping, Cara," I said.

"I'm just telling you."

I groaned.

"Fine. I've got to go, it's Melissa's phone."

"That _bitch –_"

"Right. Bye."

"Wait!"

"What?" I asked, a little sharper than I'd intended.

"Again. Relax," Cara said, and sighed disapprovingly. "Okay. So. What do you think of Gabe?"

Her question took me off-guard. "He's… okay?" I said warily, trying to sound indifferent. I had a feeling I was not doing a very good job, and I couldn't stop myself from swallowing a little bit too loudly.

"But, like, do you _like_ him?"

"Like, _like_ like?"

"Yes, _like_ like."

"Um…" And why was she asking me this? Was I _supposed_ to answer that I _really_ liked him, or that I _despised_ him or that he was_ just_ _okay_? None of them seemed right. The first two because they would somehow offend her, and the last one because it wasn't completely true.

"Because he's totally into you. You should have seen him after we dropped you off. He was smiling like an idiot the whole way, just because you said 'see you later'."

I frowned again, freezing so I couldn't answer at once.

"W-what?"

"Gabe – has – a – thing – for – you," Cara said slowly, as if to a retarded person.

I started to stutter stupidly. "But… isn't he… aren't you… like…"

"Me and Gabe?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Uh… yeah?"

She laughed. "No, ew!"

I frowned (again), sitting up. "I don't understand."

"From what I've seen from you these few days, I get a feeling that you rarely understand _anything_."

"Not fair," I accused.

"Never said it was. But, whatever, just think 'bout it, 'kay?"

"Sure."

"Because he's nice. Sort of. I guess. I mean, he's like my brother. No, more like my cousin, since I doubt I would have such a good relationship with a _brother_. But, still, it's gross."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Okay. See ya."

And then she hung up.

"What a _wonderful_ life I have," I purred, staring absently at my pillow.

The hours at Horton's store (it was actually called 'Horton's store'. Boring, huh?) went much faster on Tuesday than they had Monday. Cara and Gabe dropped by the last hour, Cara to go through her "plan" and Gabe to see me. I hoped.

From Cara's winks and eyebrow-raisings, everything he said and did was a sign that he liked me. And as much as I thought that I shouldn't believe it, I just couldn't help it but to _hope_. Oh, how perfect it would have been if she were right.

When I was done for the day, she hugged me and ordered Gabe to do the same. I would have happily done a crazy dance right there and then, when he smiled widely and threw his arms around me. I hugged him too, as hard as I dared, and we held each other a little bit longer than necessary.

When we pulled away Cara was grinning at us, which made us both blush furiously.

I had to drag myself to the car when Horton picked me up outside the store. Melissa was already in the back seat, wearing a black hoodie and her iPod on with her volume as loud as possible, I would guess. She had her hood up, so, I couldn't see her face properly.

What an extremely depressive girl!

The girl from the store, the one with the scars, opened the door before we even reached it. I jerked a little at the sight of her scars, but quickly collected myself.

"Emily," Horton said with a warm smile. He walked up to her, and they hugged swiftly.

"Hey, Horton." She caught sight of me. "Oh, there's the girl from the store," she said, smiling widely. I smiled back, hesitantly. "Come one in," she invited.

I glanced over my shoulder at Melissa, who had, luckily, put her iPod into the pocket of her hoodie. We all followed Emily inside.

I quickly grasped what Cara had been talking about. The similarities of these guys were incredible. It was like they were all related. I even had a hard time picking Paul out of the mass, and when I did, it was because of Rachel sitting under his arm, looking very small in comparison.

Emily introduced everyone to me. "This is Sam, Quil, Seth, Jared, Kim, Collin, and Leah. And also Embry and Brady are coming, but you don't know them, I suppose. Of course, you know Paul and Rachel," Emily said cheerily. I smiled politely at everyone, feeling completely awkward and exposed where I stood.

When it was time to sit down by the table, I hurried to sit down between Melissa and Horton. No way I wanted to sit next to one of those scary dudes. That would just be _way_ too intimidating. And now there was a smaller chance anyone would slip something into my drink.

"Melissa, take out those ear-plugs, honey," Horton said in a low voice. I looked at Melissa, who was once again listening to that loud, banging music, and she seemed indifferent to her father's demand.

I napped one of the plugs out, and she instantly turned her glare on me.

"Welcome to Earth, the planet of communication and conversation," I said, smiling sweetly. One of the gang-guys, Seth, I believe, laughed shortly, giving me a thumb up. I smiled awkwardly, pretty sure I had been talking low enough for no one to hear. Obviously I had been wrong. Or he just had really good hearing.

And what was it with the 'acting nice'-thing? Maybe they were just sucking up to me. Soon someone would knock me out and I would wake up in a dark basement and they would feed me left-overs from the dog's dinner!

I shuddered, eyening Seth carefully.

I noticed that all the guys ate inhumanly amounts of food. It was like they were never full. I felt myself losing my appetite at the sight. I had to force the rest of the dinner on my plate down, even though it was delicious, as opposed to the crap Horton served me.

In the middle of the dinner, the sound of a door bursting open flew through the house. I was the only one to jump at the sound and Seth laughed again. Man did he have a… developed (?) sense of humor.

Two more guys (looking just the same as all the others) roamed into the kitchen, grinning stupidly when they saw the food. Yes, there was still something left, as much as it amazed me.

"Embry, Brady," Emily said instantly. "This is Maia, Paul's cousin," she said, pointing at me. And here we go again with the staring.

"Hi," I said awkwardly. I waited for them to get over the fact that _yes_, I existed and stuff, and sit down and stuff their faces full of food like the others. One of them did, plumping down on a chair, but the other one kept staring, wide-eyed.

I looked around, hoping to get some sort of explanation from someone. Maybe he had a condition or something. Sam looked up, meeting my gaze, and then looking to the retarded guy. He muttered something that sounded like an unhappy "great", before he cleared his throat to get the guy's attention.

"Embry, why don't you sit down?" he said. _Embry_'s eyes flickered to Sam for one second, then he nodded, sitting down at the opposite side of the table from me. I felt him still staring, so I made a point of looking at anything but him, hoping he would get the picture.

He didn't. Even when he was eating he kept staring, like he was waiting for something. Whenever I met his gaze a wide grin grew over his face, and his eyes lit up. Okay, that was sick. He was going to murder me. I swear, he was going through a hundred different ways he could take my life.

_Stop it_!

Okay, re_lax_. That guy obviously wasn't well.

But the staring became very uncomfortable, and I half hid my face, leaning my forehead in my hand and gripping my hair tightly. It must have looked strange, but it didn't matter. _He_ was stranger.

After a while I turned around to see if it was something _behind_ me that was so interesting for him, but when it was just an empty wall, I had to conclude with that he was staring at _me_.

Now, that he had finished eating, he was leaning his cheek in his hand, looking at me with a dreamy expression. Sadistic, obviously. He was _enjoying_ thinking about killing me. Or whatever he was planning.

I glanced desperately, panicky, around the table to see if anyone else noticed, but they seemed too busy. Some of them were even still eating. I caught Seth's eyes, and nodded carefully towards Embry. Seth looked at him, and smiled faintly. He shrugged at me.

I jumped to my feet, and suddenly everyone was quiet, looking at me.

"I… uh… need some air," I stuttered, sneaking my way around the table.

I went out in the cool evening-air, for once it wasn't raining. I sat down on the wooding floor next to the door, fishing out my phone, which I had gotten back from Cara today. I dialed her number (I had learned it by heart, just in case).

"Hia," she said.

"I want _out_ of here!" I hissed.

"Why?"

"I… it's creepy, I'm serious. I'm not sure I'll survive the evening."

"Don't be so overdramatic, Maia-girl," Cara said loudly.

"But they're so… big. I'm sure they could break my arm just by staring at it hard enough."

"You know they couldn't."

"Do you think I could make a run for it?"

"To where?"

"Anywhere. I can say that you came and kidnapped me."

She snorted. "And I would have managed _that_."

"Fine, Gabe helped you."

She snickered. "You would have liked that, wouldn't you?"

_You have no idea…_

"Focus!"

"I am."

"I'm scared," I whimpered childishly.

And then the door opened. I jumped so suddenly and high that my phone flew out of my hand and disappeared in the dark. I didn't pay attention to it, anyway, I was staring wide-eyed at the figure that had come out the door.

Embry.

I let out a low whimper, backing away.

"Uh… hi," said Embry, awkwardly.

Oh my God. He was going to kill me.

Any second now.

Would he shoot me? Maybe he had a gun in his jeans. Or maybe he would strangle me. Those huge hands wouldn't have any difficulties doing that, no doubt. Or maybe he was going to crush me with his body!

There were so many possibilities, and my mouth hung open, ready for a scream, my eyes frozen in their wide-open position.

"Why do you look so scared?" Embry asked me.

"T… uh…" I pressed out.

I forced my feet to move me another step backwards.

"I'm… not going to hurt you," Embry said hesitantly. I blinked several times.

"Not?" I asked stupidly.

"Uh… no," he answered, like the thought disgusted him..

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Um… good."

_What_?

I'm so weird.

Still, it actually calmed me, sort of.

We stood in silence for a few seconds, and I felt completely idiotic. I also couldn't see his face in the dark. What if he had this poisoned dart-thingy in his mouth, and was about to shoot it right at me? Like, spit it out. What if it hit my eye? I didn't like to get things in my eyes.

"So. What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Um. Working," I answered, still wary of his presence.

"All summer?"

"Yeah."

"And… you're going home after that?"

"Yeah."

"Where do you live?"

"California."

"Oh," he said sullenly. "So… are you… doing something this week-end?"

What?

Oh no, _please_ don't say he was falling for me.

God.

Just my luck.

What was he, like, twenty-two, twenty-three? And I was sixteen? That was almost sick. And gross, definitely.

"Um, I think I have plans," I said, faking the apologizing tone.

"Oh. Okay."

_Now_ he would kill me. Maybe he had a jealousy-problem. Suddenly he made a swift leap down to the gravel (though at first I thought he was going to pounce on _me_) and came back with his hand extended to me.

"Your phone," he hinted gently when I hesitated. I grabbed it quickly. Like I could see anything in this darkness! I should have been in bed by now. It was _late_.

"I think I'm going back inside," I said, figuring out that it was somewhat safer with more people. That made no sense at all, but what the heck.

"Me too," he answered instantly.

_Of course you are, you tail-wagging little dog._

* * *

**Yeah, so that's that. **

**For now. **

**What do you think?? **

**I put Embry in here. **

**I guess I made him seem a little brain dead, I'll try and fix that later, in next chapter or something. **

**Okay, for my cheetos vs potato chips question:**

**Cheetos: 3**

**Potato chips: 3**

**Doritos: 1 (But I like those too!!)**

**And I say cheetos, so cheetos win!!**

**Yay. **

**Now. **

**Who's your favorite werewolf/werewolves?**

**And, something _very_ random, but I just have to say it. **

**I was listening to my iPod on the bus the other day, and I listened to When I'm Gone by 3 Doors Down, and this sentence really caught me:**

**"I'd give up everything, if only for your good." (Well, it was something in that direction.)**

**And that reminded me _so_ much of imprinting! **

**And now I can't stop thinking about it! **


	5. Phone calls

**Here comes chapter five, six will be here in about... two minutes. **

**I do not own Twilight, but I have two very annoying parents. **

**Anyone want to switch? **

**I swear. Yesterday my dad called me back because I hung up on him. **

**I mean, he was boring me, so I hung up, that's normal. **

**And he calls back to say that it's always the one who calls who's supposed to say bye first. **

**I mean, come on!**

* * *

"I swear, Lee, it's overfilled with hot guys around here," I whined into the phone. "And the ones I want to notice me, don't."

"This Gabe-guy. You said that not-girlfriend-after-all said that he liked you?"

"Yeah, but like and _like_ is two very different things. He probably just thinks of me as a friend."

"You don't know that," she said, starting to sound a little tired of my whining.

"Yeah, I do, actually."

"And what's wrong with E… Eb…"

"_Embry_," I corrected her. "He's… creepy. I mean it. You should have seen him, I was sure he wanted to murder me. He didn't stop staring, and when we left, he followed my every step up to the car. It was _ridiculous_."

"Sounds cute to me," she insisted.

"He's in that gang."

"What gang?"

"_The_ gang."

"A La Push gang?"

"Didn't I tell you?"

"Obviously not." I filled her in with what Cara and Gabe had said about them, and about my own observations. She didn't seem convinced, snorting it off as if it was nothing. It annoyed me to the edge.

"Seriously, Mazie, you can't believe those stupid rumors. They're probably just based on jealousy or something."

"But they weren't normal. I swear, there was something inhumanly about them. They were all drop-dead gorgeous, and looked like they were related," I explained, my logic infallible in my head.

"And that explains that they're drug dealers?"

"No," I mumbled,

"Exactly. Why don't you just go with that… E-guy?"

"E-guy?" I asked skeptically.

"Tell him that he should get himself a simpler name."

"I'm not talking to him again. He scared the crap out of me."

"That's because you're a coward. I'm sure you spent all dinner exaggerating everything and analyzing everyone's movements."

"No, I didn't," I insisted.

"Whatever. Hey, did your mum get a new boyfriend?"

"Uh, not that I know," I said, thinking. I hadn't talked to mum since… what was it, Sunday? Today it was Wednesday.

"Oh. Maybe I was wrong."

"Why?"

"I thought I saw her with this guy. He looked much younger than her, like old model-young. But… Naw, it was probably just someone else. It was far, anyway."

"Okay," I said, though I didn't believe her. It was just like mum to get a new boyfriend now that I was away. I mean, she always wanted to get over my gay dad, so why not do it with style? Model, huh?

"Whatever, I'll call her today. How's Tony?"

"He and Marlie are just great, and I'm _so_ over him. He's my past, my yesterday." Literally speaking.

"Cool, now you can find a new one," I said, mock eagerness coloring my voice.

"You're hilarious, Mazie, you know that?"

"Yup, it's a gift."

Silence.

"Well, bye," Lena said, and hung up before I had time to reply. I called mum at once, waiting four rings before she answered.

"Hello?" She sounded stressed again.

"Hi, it's me," I said.

"Maia?"

_Duh_.

"Yeah."

"Oh. How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Do you eat fruit every day?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure. You… never mentioned Melissa and Paul," I informed her, because she had probably forgotten all about it from the last time I spoke to her.

"Yeah, it must have slipped my mind," she answered absently. "Are they nice?"

"Sure. Why have I never heard of them before?"

"Who?"

I rolled my eyes. "Uncle Horton, Melissa and Paul?"

"Oh."

"Mum, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"You sound so… distant."

"Oh."

No answer.

"Mum? Have you been drinking?"

Long pause.

"Just a little."

"Define "a little"."

"Um… a few beers, or I think, and maybe possibly some shots."

Maybe possibly? Dear God…

"Why would you do that? You know how people react to alcohol," I said patiently.

"Just got caught up in the moment."

I waited a few seconds.

"Were you with a guy?" I asked, feeling like _I_ was the mum and not the other way around. Mum groaned loudly.

"Do we have to talk about this right now?"

"Yes, actually, we do." Another groan and a sound that told me that she had just collapsed on either her bed, the couch or a chair.

"What does it matter, anyway?" she asked in a tired voice.

"Lena saw you with a guy. Are you seeing someone?"

Pause. Then a quiet:

"Yes."

"How old is he?"

"Madeline –"

"Just tell me."

She sighed. "Twenty-eight."

"Twenty-eight!? What… mum, you're practically twice his age," I said. She was forty-six. That meant that she was, in my opinion, of course, _way_ too old to be even dating, especially someone that could have been my brother. Or even my boyfriend, even though the thought disgusted me a little.

"Age doesn't matter," she mumbled sheepishly.

"That's… eighteen years difference, mum. That's a lot."

"Maia…" she whined.

"I'm just saying, you were already an adult when he was born. Isn't that sort of gross?"

"Maia. Listen. I'm a grown-up, I can make my own decisions."

"Yeah, but you're obviously lost some of your brain mass in the middle of your partying yesterday. Was _he_ the one to take you to a… bar, or whatever it was?"

"He just wanted me to have fun," mum defended.

"Right. Are you sure that's what he wanted? You know, guys just want one thing – "

"You sound like my mum," she noted.

"And you sound like a naïve teenager. Which is worse?" I snapped. And then she hung up. "Mum!" I whined angrily. A knock on my door made me jump, and I spun around from where I was lying on my stomach over the bed.

"Um," it said from the door, which was open, just my luck. It was Paul (great, what must _he_ think of me _now_.) and that Embry-guy from yesterday. I sat up, looking at them.

"Uh, hi," I said awkwardly. Embry grinned so widely that the corners of his mouth practically reached outside his face. Oh, dear God. What was wrong with this guy? "What's up?" I added when no one said anything.

"We were just wondering if you wanted to come out? We're all going to the beach," Paul said, while Embry kept smiling. I ignored the obviously mentally ill guy and looked pointedly out the window.

"It's raining," I noted.

"Bring a rain jacket," was the answer.

"Isn't it cold?"

"Not really."

"_I_ think it is."

"Put on warm clothes or something," Paul suggested. Running out of excuses, I shook my head slowly.

"I… have plans. With… Cara. And Gabe," I emphasized "Gabe" as if to prove a point.

"Weren't you just with them?"

"Yeah, but… We're going to watch a movie," I lied poorly. "At Gabe's."

_That_ wiped that stupid grin off of Embry's face. Now he suddenly looked like he was in a hopeless position, staring at me with wide, puppy-like eyes that would have melted me completely if it wasn't him.

"Oh," Paul said. "Another time, then."

"Um, sure."

_Not_.

Paul smiled faintly at me before turning around and leaving, but Embry (un)surprisingly stayed. I raised my eyebrows as a question, but he didn't notice. Instead he came over to my bed and uninvited sat down next to me. I tried hard not to cringe away from him, and smiled politely.

"Hi," he said cheerily.

"Hey," I answered.

Awkward silence. Or, awkward for me, since he was still staring, like he was trying to remember me by heart. I cleared my throat in discomfort.

"So… who's going to the beach?" I asked to get him out of this weird trance.

"Everyone you met yesterday, plus Jacob and a friend of his."

"Oh."

Like I knew who Jacob was?

Silence.

"So…" Embry started, suddenly looking a little embarrassed. His eyes squinted sheepishly, and his smile got insecure. "Um, do you want to go out with me sometime?" he asked.

Great.

Just great.

"Um…" I said, looking away. Yes, I even sacrificed my pride by looking at my feet. I'm such a coward. But what would you have done? "I don't know if –"

"You don't have to," Embry said, sounding a bit sad. Duh, I know I didn't _have_ to, but how to say no in a polite way? I have no idea. "I'm sorry if I'm… moving too fast or whatever," he trailed off. He fidgeted awkwardly.

"Uh, just, I."

Wow, what a _very_ informative response!

"I'm… I can't really answer right _now_. But…"

"We could just be friends, if that's easier," Embry said quickly.

Right. Friends. That's what guys said when they _didn't_ give up, just decided to be a little more patient.

"Sure," I answered, despite myself. "I… uh. That'll be cool."

I hoped my lie wasn't too obvious. I looked up, and Embry looked pleased with the "compromise", so I smiled back.

"Great," he said with a smile. I nodded.

"You should go see your friends," I suggested.

"Oh. Right," he answered, looking unwilling to move. Sure, it was sort of cute, but at the same time, very disturbing. And inappropriate, considering his age. "Bye," he said, while slowly getting up. He walked backwards out the door, never breaking eye-contact with me. Cute, or creepy? Both? Maybe.

As soon as he was out of sight, and frantically threw myself over my phone again, texting Cara. I _needed_ them to plan to watch a film with me. Preferably at Gabe's.

Cara picked me up ten minutes later.

"What was the crisis?" she asked me as I hurled myself into the seat.

"Embry's the crisis," I said unhappily.

"Embry from your cousin's gang?"

"Yeah. He's creepy."

"What, like murderer-creepy?"

"In the beginning."

"And now?"

"I think he _likes_ me," I said, my voice colored with disgust. Cara let out a loud laugh.

"You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not! It's so incredibly creepy. What's he, like twenty-five?"

"Seventeen."

I paused, looking at her. She wasn't joking.

"What?" I breathed.

"He's seventeen. We told you, they're on steroids."

"That doesn't make any sense," I pointed out. She shrugged.

"They're on _something_."

"Are they all as young as he is?"

"Yeah, some of them are younger. Collin, and Brady, they're like fourteen or something."

"_Four_teen?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"I told you, they're not normal, any of them."

"But they looked like they were so much older than me," I mumbled to myself. Cara didn't answer, just huffed impatiently, like she was tired of talking about me.

So the rest of the way I tried to haul out some answers from her, and learned that she lived only with her dad because of a nasty divorce (because her parents never decided who had the right to own the remote control), and that her favorite thing in the world were roller-coasters, and that she had killed two gold-fishes and three hamsters. And that she loved dogs, but I think she just added that to make a point.

Cara walked right into Gabe's house, like it was her own. I followed hesitantly, feeling a little bit like an intruder. Boomer suddenly burst out a door, and I jumped back in shock. Boomer saw me, and then he leaped at me.

It wasn't because he was heavy or anything, it was the fright mixed with the surprise, and I fell backwards to the floor. His paws appeared on my chest, and _that_ actually hurt. I whimpered, trying to make my hands push him off. I heard Cara's laugher in the background, and then Boomer was removed from me.

A hand grabbed my arm, hoisting me to my feet.

"Are you okay?" said Gabe. I stared at him, pressing out a sound that was supposed to sound like yes. But I got a little lost in his unusual blue eyes, and the warmth from his hands also distracted me. He let go of my arm, smiling, but I didn't smile back.

I liked that he touched me!

Why couldn't he continue?

"What was it with the urgency?" he asked as he led us to the living room, luckily leaving Boomer in his own room.

"Do you know Embry, from Sam's gang?" I asked.

"Embry Call?" Gabe asked without turning.

"The one and only," I answered.

"He liked her," Cara cut in.

"He scares me," I corrected her.

Cara laughed.

"Everything scares you. Boomer, and Embry. What are you _not_ afraid of?"

"I'm not _scared_, really, just… um… uncomfortable."

She snorted.

"Right. But, you have to admit it; those guys are looking _good_," she said with a stupid grin.

"Uh, yeah, sure," I said with a side-glance at Gabe. He was sitting in front of the TV, putting in the disc. He froze just a _little_. Or I was imagining it. I was probably imagining it.

"Admit it, Maia," Cara said in a commanding voice. I met her gaze, and she raised her eyebrows, her eyes flickering to Gabe. Oh! She wanted me to make him jealous! What was it with that everyone I knew wanted me to do exactly that?

I laughed girlishly, playing along anyway. "Yeah, they do look pretty good."

Another glance at Gabe. He didn't move.

"Good, as in…?" Cara asked, grinning.

"As in _really_ hot?" I said with a smirk. Cara bit back her laugh when Gabe got up, avoiding eye contact with me as he slumped over to the couch. She rolled her eyes at me, smiling.

* * *

**That's that, for now. **

**More author's note on next chapter.**


	6. Good ideas?

**Okay, here's six. **

**I don't own anything. **

**The offer about switching parents still stands. **

**.. no? **

**Okay. **

* * *

By Thursday I realized that I hadn't once gone hiking even once since I got here. At home I did it all the time, often once a day. And now that I had started to think about it, I just couldn't stop feeling lazy. Cara and Gabe did not want to go with me, saying that summer vacation was also vacation from Gym and everything that was similar to it.

So I had to have uncle Horton drive me to a path after work, and I brought a compass and a map. I had even brought my old, worn hiking boots from home, and they felt safe and familiar on my feet.

"I'll find the way back, don't worry," I reassured Horton as I jumped out of my seat.

"Okay. Have fun," he said with a skeptic expression. I highly doubted that Melissa had ever asked him to help her find a nice hiking route.

"I will," I promised, and closed the door. I was long gone before he even reached to pull back out on the road again.

It, of course, started raining after ten minutes, but I actually enjoyed it. I loved hiking, because it always gave me so much time and space to think. Especially if the surroundings were as beautiful as they were here, it was like I was far away from both civilization and reality.

After a few hours I was back where I started, and I didn't mind walking home. Sure, I was tired and everything, but I was used to walking long distances. My father used to take me hiking. Before.

Idiot.

Yesterday had been great. It had been so fun to make Gabe jealous, and it had given me some new hope. Maybe he actually _was_ into me? I was afraid to hope _too_ much, of course. It would break my pride pretty much if I found out he just looked at me as a friend. Or worse. As a sister.

Even remembering that I had "liked" Paul at first seemed stupid now. He was off limits, and he had a nice wife. I mean, who wants a married guy? That's just plain stupid. It would just end with everyone getting hurt.

A car passed me and forgot to _not_ drive into the ponds forming on the road, and I got soaked. I groaned a little, but kept walking like nothing had happened. I was already wet, so a little extra water didn't matter.

My phone started ringing, and I answered it without checking the id.

"Hello?"

"Madeline?"

Dad.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"Don't take that tone, honey," dad said, but it didn't have the same authority-like tone as it used to have. I rolled my eyes anyway, for his father-like behavior. He had stopped being my father a long time ago. I didn't say anything, just waited for him to say something again. "Where are you?"

"Why do you care?"

"Madeline –"

"Eustace," I copied him. I always hated that name.

"Maddy!" he said, a little angrier this time.

"No one calls me Maddy, _Eustace_. It's Maia."

"Well, _Maia_, where are you?"

"I'm in La Push, not that it matters to you. And I'll be here all summer, so you can tell that _husband_ of yours that you two can have a good time on your own –"

"In La Push?" he repeated.

"Yes, that's what I said," I said, my voice indicating that he was completely brain-dead.

"What are you doing there?"

"I have a job. And I'll be here all summer, like I said, so I can't and won't visit you –"

"Madeline, _why_ are you in La Push?" he asked again, his voice sounding almost angry.

"_Working_," I said slowly.

"In La Push?"

"_Yes_, in La Push. What, do you have problem saving information in that deformed brain of yours –"

"Enough, Madeline," he cut me off, annoyed. "Listen. I don't want you in La Push."

I frowned, tongue-tied for a moment.

"What?" I spit out.

"It's not safe there, honey," he told me in a soft voice.

"And… you're saying this because New York is so much safer? You had no problem with me staying there. La Push is tiny. It's not exactly the crime capital of the world here."

"Madeline, please listen to me, for once," he pleaded.

"I don't think I will. What's so dangerous here, anyway?"

"It's…" He struggled with the words, sounding unwilling to answer my question. "Not… safe."

"You already said that, _Eustace_," I said, making a point of saying his name with disgust.

"Why don't you come here instead, Madeline?" he asked in a softer voice. I snorted loudly. So _that_ was what it was about. He was putting up a ridiculous act to get me to stay with him and that too-young husband of his.

"Of course not," I spat out, letting the venom flow freely in my words. "Why would you even _think_ that I would _possibly_ even _consider_ visiting you and that little man-whore of yours?"

Angrier, now, dad said: "You're not allowed to call Stephen such names. Understood?"

"Don't act all fatherly on me, _Eustace_. Get off the phone and let _Stephen_ soothe you, okay? Go tell him that your big, mean daughter made you cry."

"Madeline –"

"Bye."

I hung up without waiting for an answer, turning off my phone so I didn't have to ignore his calls the rest of the day. Another car rushed by, soaking me once again. This time it annoyed me to the edge, and I groaned loudly.

Dad had totally just ruined my mood. I had been so happy just minutes ago, and then _he_ had to call and destroy my day.

Another car came closer from behind me, and I got a strong feeling of déjà vu when it stopped next to me instead of splashing water all over me. However, when I saw who was _inside_ the car, the similarities ended.

It was Embry.

Great.

He leaned over the seats and asked through the open window:

"Want a ride?"

Well, I couldn't exactly say no either, could I? And I had actually said that I would be his friend, so…

I opened the door and plumped inside.

"I'm sort of wet," I said, looking at him apologetically.

"Well, that's no surprise. What were you doing out in this weather?" he asked, sounding almost disapproving.

"Hiking," I told him, my voice a little bitter.

"In the rain?"

"It wasn't raining when I started."

"And this late?"

I couldn't defend that, so I just innocently asked;

"What time is it?"

"Ten thirty."

"Oh."

I had started four hours ago. Acceptable, I guess. Home I could sometimes walk all day, but seeing that I began my trip after work…

"Couldn't you have anyone come get you? You could get sick in this weather," Embry said, sounding a bit sullen all of a sudden.

"I said I could walk home. Again, it wasn't raining then."

"You're not in California anymore. Rain is more like a matter of course here," he said, smiling at me.

"Yeah, I noticed," I said, and fidgeted with my wet shirt. Would _this_ have made Gabe jealous? Maybe. Perhaps I should mention it tomorrow. I didn't have work, since it was Friday.

"So… you like hiking?"

_Obviously…_

"Yeah. I do it all the time at home."

"Cool," he said.

Silence.

Why did I always end up in these awkward silences? It wasn't normal. Most people had no problem communicating in an okay way, but me? Not a chance.

"How's it to live in California?" Embry asked after a while.

"Great. Sunny, I guess," I said, smiling a little.

He snorted. "I'd bet. What about friends? Boyfriends?" He said the last one a little uncertainly, like he didn't _really_ want to ask. I didn't disappoint him, luckily for him.

"No boyfriends. One best friend, three thousand false ones, and my mum."

"False friends?" he asked. Oh, right. He was a _boy_. They needed to have everything in with a tea spoon.

"Friends that I don't really know anything about. I can talk to them and everything, but not the same way as I can with my best friend," I explained.

"Oh," he said. He didn't get it, so I rolled my eyes. "What about your father?"

Oh.

Great.

Why did people like to talk about things that I didn't like?

I was about to say that he was dead or something, like I very often did, but instead I decided to tell the truth, just to see how he reacted. "He lives in New York with another man."

It took Embry about three seconds to figure out that it was something off in that sentence.

"Seriously?" he asked skeptically.

"Yup. It's totally weird, I know. I thought I knew him, and then he suddenly turns gay. Crazy. And now he wants me to _forgive_ him. Like that'll happen. He's so annoying, and he still thinks he can be my father," I stopped short, realizing I was babbling. Grimacing, I looked out the window at the rain.

"Way weird," he agreed. He paused a few seconds again. "How was your movie-date yesterday?"

"Good. We watched Titanic," I said, smiling, because that was one of my favorite movies.

"Cool. You know, I've _never_ seen that?"

I looked at him in mock horror.

"Are you in_sane_?" I said.

"I don't know, am I?" he asked uncertainly.

_Take a joke, idiot…_

"You haven't seen Titanic? That's bad," I said, but I smiled a little to let him know I was joking.

"Oh. I guess that is bad," he mused.

"It really is," I assured him. "You should be ashamed."

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, smiling crookedly. He made an amused sound, and looked at the road again.

"Embry?" I asked. He turned to me at once, grinning widely. Weirdo. "How old are you?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Seventeen."

"Is it crazy of me _not_ to believe you?"

He chuckled. "I guess not."

Hesitantly, I asked: "Why do people call you guys a gang?"

Pause.

He was unwilling to answer this.

"I don't know," he mumbled.

"They say that you're on steroids and that you're drug dealers." He didn't say anything. "Is that true?"

"No!" he exclaimed, looking at me like I was crazy. He looked disgusted just by the thought, and that made me angry. Like I could stop people from gossiping?

"Fine," I retorted, looking out the window again.

"I'm sorry," Embry said a few seconds later. "I shouldn't have snapped like that."

_No, you shouldn't_.

But I didn't say anything. We were almost by my house now, and I couldn't wait to get out of here. For a minute there things went well, I was actually almost having a good time, and then he goes all short-tempered on me. I just wanted an explanation, no need to get all angry here.

He pulled into our drive-way, and I immediately unbuckled my seat-belt and went for the door. He stopped me by taking my hand. I froze in surprise.

"Don't be mad at me," he asked, looking at me with pleading eyes.

I tried yanking my hand free, but he didn't even seem to notice. So I sighed, and said impatiently:

"Sure. Fine. You're forgiven."

He smiled like I'd just given him the world or something, and then slowly loosened the grip on my hand. I was surprised to feel the cold air wash over it, and realized that Embry's hand was unnaturally warm.

I jumped out without another second glance at him, stalking to the main door.

"Jeesh, way to over think things," I muttered.

The house was empty. Or at least I thought it was. Then I heard some faint strangled sounds, and kicked my shoes off carefully to see if I heard more. The sound of the toilet flushing down from downstairs told me that Melissa was home.

Then I heard a loud, shrieking sob, and I was hurrying towards the stairs. I leaped down and into the room, finding the bathroom-door open.

"Melissa?" I asked. She caught her breath, and a few seconds later she appeared in the door.

"What?" she asked, her voice only faintly angry.

"Are… are you okay?"

"Yes," she snapped. Even in this poor lit room I could see that her face was sore and swollen, like she had just been crying.

"Okay," I mumbled, smiling a little. "I just wanted to see if there was anyone home. I'll go."

I turned to leave, but she stopped me.

"Wait," she said, and I spun around. She bit her lip, looking at me with squinting eyes. "I… can I trust you?"

"Uh. Yeah," I said, smiling uncertainly. She bit her lip even harder and tears started forming in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, clearing her throat. And again. And one more time. Then she took a deep breath, and said in a slightly hysterical voice:

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**Okay, I literally had nothing to do today. So I started writing. A lot. **

**I have very much of this story finished, little parts here and there. **

**I'm completely obsessed with it. I guess I'll just have to finish it before anything else, because I can't get it out of my mind. **

**But I'll write fast, and _then_ get back to my other stories. **

**To my question on chapter four:**

**Jared: 2**

**Embry: 1**

**Seth: 3**

**Paul: 2**

**Leah: 2**

**Jacob: 1**

**Yay, Seth won! **

**Well, I actually like all of them. Or, actually, Jacob sometimes annoys me, but still. **

**But I want to write a Seth imprint-story once...**

**Agh, I can't start thinking about that! I'll just become obsessed with that, and then I can't finish this, and...**

**And I've got a million ideas for a Paul/Rachel story! Or, I wrote a one-shot about them, but I want to continue it!! And yesterday I wrote a one-shot about Rachel when her mother died. It's not very good, I only posted it for fun, but I'm really starting to like Rachel. **

**This fanfiction-thing was not a good idea for me. I'll end up as a lonely and single forty-year-old who writes fanfiction all day. **

**I easily get obsessed with things. **

**Okay, enough uninteresting rambling. **

**Question:**

**What song reminds you the most of Twilight? (Imprinting, Edward and Bella, Sue and Charlie for that matter. Anything.)**


	7. Stalker?

**I'm so mad at iTunes right now! **

**I pressing that pause-button again and again, and it keeps playing! **

**I've even turned off the sound, but it _won't react_! **

**My friend says I'm not allowed to touch anything techical. **

**I made an alarm go off in a store the other day because I touched an mp3-player that was on display. **

**That cracked us up, and we ran out of the store laughing. **

**Random...**

**'Kay, I own this new cover on my iPod. But it looked much better before I out it on, it just looks big and bulky now, but I have to use it, because my iPod has so many scrapes and stuff because I'm not being careful enough with it. **

**But I don't own Twilight, and that's sad, because Twilight isn't bulky. **

**It is pretty big, though...**

* * *

"_Please_ tell me you're joking," I begged, staring at Melissa. She bit her lip harder, shaking her head slightly. "Well… how?" I asked stupidly.

"How do you normally get pregnant?" she snapped, her voice hysterical.

"Right. Crap." I moved my hand to my hair, fidgeting nervously. "And… you're sure?"

"I don't know!" she moaned. "I've been feeling like crap lately. I feel nauseous and my stomach hurts all the time. And… yesterday and today I felt sick in the morning. I… threw up," she admitted. She slumped over to her bed, sitting down and hiding her face in her hands.

"Oh," I said, in a lack of something better to say.

"I can't tell dad. He wouldn't understand. And Paul would kill me. Or _him_."

"Who's the… um… father?"

She sighed shakily. "I don't know. It was this party, and there was drinking and I don't remember anything."

"Okay," I said, because I had no idea what else to say.

"I woke up in a bed and… well, it hurt and I wasn't really dressed," she said in a quiet voice as she took her hands away from her face. The tears were sliding silently down her cheeks, making her almost unrecognizable from the Melissa I'd met only a few days ago.

"How far are you?" I asked carefully.

"Six weeks," she whispered.

"Oh. Wow. Crap," I mumbled, shifting the weight on my legs uncomfortably. "Are you sure you can't tell –"

"Yes, I'm sure," she said, annoyed.

"Okay. So… what do you want me to do?"

Melissa swallowed, blinking away the tears,

"I need you to buy me a pregnancy test."

I didn't even hesitate.

"Okay, sure, I'll do it," I promised. "First thing in the morning. Promise."

"Thank you," she whispered.

And that's what I did. First thing Friday I hurried outside in the rainy weather, this time remembering my rain jacket. I had asked if I could take uncle Horton's car, saying that I was going to meet up with some friends and that we needed a car.

Melissa had thrown up this morning too, and it had actually killed me to see her like that. Sure, I hadn't liked her very much, but at least I knew why she had been so grumpy lately.

Halfway to Forks the car broke down. I groaned loudly, banging my head into the steering wheel. It hurt, so I groaned again. I got out of the car, not knowing what to do next. I didn't know _anything_ about cars.

While I stood there, helpless, guess who came driving by?

Yup, you guessed right.

Embry.

Again.

Was he stalking me or something? It sure felt like it.

He came out of his car, grinning at me.

"Car-trouble?" he asked.

I grimaced. "Just a little."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Like I would know," I mumbled resentfully, glaring at the car. "You can check it out if you'd like."

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm probably not much better than you. But a friend of mine is," he said. Ah, great. I was leaving my uncle's car's fate in a friend of Embry's hands. What's off in that sentence?

"Uh, okay."

"I'll give him a call right now, maybe he can help," Embry said.

"Okay, cool," I answered, smiling politely. He lit up at my smile, grinning even wider at me. If it hadn't been so weird, I would probably have laughed in amusement.

I figured this might take a little while longer than I had promised Melissa. While Embry dialed a number on his cell phone, I dug up my own to text her. I noticed that I had one message from Gabe.

My heart fluttered.

He texted me!

My fingers were shaking when I pressed "open".

'What's up?'

Okay, it wasn't the most interesting text I'd ever gotten. But still, just the fact that I _had_ gotten it told me that he had actually thought about me and used some of his time by sending me a message. I'd say that's a good thing.

I wondered what I should answer? Should I mention Embry, just to make him a little jealous? No, that would look stupid. I didn't want to say anything about my car trouble either, because then he might volunteer to give me a ride, and I couldn't tell anyone about Melissa.

Eventually I decided not to answer. This would make him wonder if I even cared about him one bit, and Lena always said that guys liked girls who were hard to get. I could play hard to get.

Instead I texted Melissa, saying the car broke down so it would take some extra time.

"You have a very developed relationship with your phone," Embry noted as I pressed it back into the pocket of my jeans. A smile crept over my lips.

"My mum says I'm obsessed. And my best friend wanted me to go to therapy, but that's just hypocritical, 'cause she's actually worse than me," I told him randomly.

"I have a hard time believing that," he said teasingly.

I rolled my eyes. "I guess we're even, then, Mr. Seventeen."

"Seriously, I'm not older than seventeen," he said, sounding honest.

"Right."

"It's true," he insisted.

"Sure it is."

"Do you think I would lie to you?"

"Not at all."

He stopped talking, and stood there, staring again, with a weird smile on his face. Again with that creepy behavior. Someone should help him fix his social antenna, because it was clearly not working right.

I cleared my throat.

"Did you talk to your friend?"

"Huh?" he asked, dazed. I pointed to the car. "Oh, right. Yeah, he said he was coming. Where were you going, anyway?"

"Forks," I replied, smiling a way I hoped looked innocent enough.

"What are you doing there?" he asked, trying to sound casual. Ah, he thought I was meeting a boy. Right.

"I just needed to buy something."

"Do you want me to give you a ride?"

"Uh, no, that's okay," I answered, smiling reassuringly.

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"How are you going to get there then?"

"I'll just wait till… uh…" That was all it took to tongue-tie me. "When is your friend coming?"

"He's not coming, some people that are towing your car is. And you won't get it back very soon, so if you don't want to ride with me, how are you going to get anywhere? Walk?" he asked, smiling like the thought amused him.

"You clearly underrate walking," I answered. "And you said that your friend was coming!"

"Did I?" he asked, like he couldn't remember correctly. I rolled my eyes. The memory capacity of a bulldog. Or a teenage boy, whichever you prefer.

"When can I have the car back?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know much, do you?"

"I do too!" he said, faking offended. Or at least I hoped he did.

"Do not," I smiled.

"Do too."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do!"

"Okay, okay, I admit that you know the square root of pi," I challenged.

He blanked.

"Wait, wait…" he said, concentrating.

"Do you know I got an A in math?" I said casually. He looked at me, narrowing his eyes. "But it wasn't deserved, of course. I'm just very good at sucking up to teachers." He tried to ignore me while he focused on my challenge. "I'm more like a B, or maybe even C, but don't tell him that."

"Shh!" he hissed, though he smiled a little.

"I was, after all, the only one to pay attention in his class. He's a really bad teacher, he has an education in philosophy, and he has no idea how to control a class. So no one respects him or anything, and everything he does in class is thinking and pouting. Seriously –"

"If you don't shut up, I might just come over there and gag you," Embry warned, and I laughed. "And, by the way, the square root of pi is 1,77245 –"

"You did _not_ just figure that out!" I cut him off.

"Sure I did," he insisted.

"I can pretend that I believe you, but I really don't."

He laughed huskily. "Okay, I _might_ just have memorized it before. But that doesn't make it less impressive," he said, grinning. I laughed with him.

Suddenly I realized what I was doing. I was encouraging him! I made it seem like I liked his company, when I was supposed to like Gabe! Okay… maybe I _did_ like his company. It was strangely easy to be with him, like I forgot every other care I had in this world.

But still, my laugh was cut short by this realization, and I leaned against my car, looking at the road, pretending to be waiting for whatever was coming to take Horton's car away and force me to either walk, call Cara or Gabe or have a ride with Embry.

Horrified I found myself _wanting_ to choose Embry. That wasn't supposed to be!

The rest of the time we were waiting for the car-towing-people, I tried not to talk too much. It got very awkward, and I think I hurt Embry a little. However, every time I looked at him, he smiled so wide that it was hard to tell what his real reaction was.

Cara couldn't get me. She was visiting her aunt _somewhere_, and I didn't want to ask Gabe, because I didn't want to shatter my pride in such a young age. That left walking or Embry. I shouldn't _want_ to pick Embry, so the fact that I actually _couldn't_ have anyone drive me, because I had promised Melissa and everything, luckily saved me from _that_ dilemma.

Of course, _he_ had another opinion on that.

"So, have you decided how to get to Forks now?" he asked me casually when we were alone.

"Yeah, I'll walk."

He snorted. "It's far," he pointed out.

"So? I like walking. It'll be okay," I assured him. He shook his head.

"Get in the car," he ordered, pointing to his car. I smiled, rolling my eyes.

"No, seriously, I'll walk. It's no big deal."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "Do I really have to _make_ you?"

"_No_, you don't have to _make_ me," I said with a laugh. "Just go home, or wherever you were going. I'll be fine."

"You're stubborn," he noted.

"It's one of my better treats," I smiled sweetly.

"Mine too," he grinned, coming closer. Before I even had time to protest, he was behind me, putting his ridiculously large hands on my shoulders and pushing me forwards. He had me stuffed into my seat before I reached to say anything, and even buckled my seat belt for me.

"And not pushy at all," I commented, panicking as I tried to find a way to get out of this. What was I supposed to do, it wasn't as if I could just run for it either. That's would be both hopeless and look _really_ stupid. I would just have to shake him off later.

He grinned at me as he sat into the driver's seat, and I rolled my eyes and smiled back. I couldn't help it. My lips had a life of their own.

"So, what are you doing there, anyway?" Embry asked as he started driving.

"I need to buy something," I answered distantly. I _really_ hoped he would let it go with that, but, of course, he didn't.

"Something what?" he asked.

"Just _something_," I answered dismissively.

"There's a lot of something's. Which something are you buying?"

God, why did he have to be so… pushy?

"I won't tell you, get over it," I said, sharper than I'd intended. He silenced at once, and I felt guilty. Why did I have to be so darn nice? "Sorry," I mumbled, looking out the window.

"It's okay," he assured me immediately.

Of course it's okay, everything's okay with you!

Except me walking, obviously.

"I can't tell what I'm buying," I said apologetically.

"Why?"

"I promised not to."

"To who?"

"I… can't tell," I answered.

He suddenly pulled out of the road.

"If you won't tell, I won't drive you," he said in a childish stubborn voice. I was _almost_ sure he was joking, so I played along.

"Fine, I'll walk," I said easily, reaching for the door handle.

"No," he said quickly, almost hysterically, capturing my wrist in his hand easily. "But why can't you tell me? You can trust me, you know," he told me sincerely. I looked into his eyes, his dark honest eyes, and they trapped me completely. Before I even thought about it, I blurted out;

"Pregnancy test."

The connection was broken at once. Embry reacted by tightening his grip on my wrist, which made me able to look away from his eyes.

"What?" he exclaimed furiously. I winced at the pain in my arm, and he let go at once. Frightened at his outburst I looked up into his eyes again. He was shaking in anger, pressing his eyes shut as if he was concentrating hard.

"Not for me," I said hurriedly. He opened his eyes, squinting at me, waiting for an explanation. I sighed, figuring that there was no way to get around this. "It's for Melissa."

"Melissa?" he asked, frowning. He stopped shaking, but he still looked on-edge. "What has she done _now_?" He didn't seriously want me to explain to him _how_ it had happened.

"She wanted me to buy for her. And I couldn't tell anyone."

Embry frowned deeper, thinking. Then he shook his head disapprovingly. "Should almost have expected it. That girl knows how to mess up alright," he said, sounding like a grandfather and not a teenager for a second. He looked at me. "What is she going to do if it's…"

"I don't know. I didn't ask her, she was upset enough already," I told him, falling limp backwards in my seat.

"Huh," Embry said quietly, copying my actions. After a few silent minutes, he started driving again. I went into the drug store alone, trying to hide under my hoodie as I asked for a pregnancy test, and paid without meeting anyone's eyes. Hey, I had _some_ pride!

We drove home in silence too, but just as I was about to step out of the car, I remembered something.

"You can't tell anyone this," I told Embry seriously. "Especially not Paul."

Embry looked a little sad at first, but then he nodded slowly.

"I'll try," he said.

"You have to _promise_," I said sternly. He looked at me uneasily.

"I… don't like promises. It makes everything so –"

"Embry!" I whined. He silenced at once, studying me warily. "You _have_ to promise! I wasn't even supposed to tell _you_!"

"But you did," he pointed out.

"Because you cheated," I accused. "With your super-cute puppy-eyes, it wasn't fair!"

He looked bemused by something I said for a second, then got serious again.

"Fine. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks. I trust you, so don't screw this up," I warned. His eyes got all sad again. He tried to hide it, but didn't really succeed. I smiled thankfully at him, and was about to close the door. "Oh!" I leaned in again. "And… thanks for today. I mean, for calling those people and waiting with me and giving me a ride and everything," I babbled. I frowned at my own word vomit. "Okay. Bye."

As he drove off, I suddenly remembered what I'd said. Oh dear God. Had I just said that he had super-cute puppy-eyes?

Yikes.

I shouldn't really be allowed to even talk.

* * *

**Okay, thank you for all the song-thingies on the reviews! I really liked some of the songs, especially "There for you" by Flyleaf. I've been listening to it all day, while I drank ice tea and read a book ("Gone", has anyone read that?) in the sun. **

**I had a lazy day. **

**MyNameIsJustine: **

**You have an account, don't you? Use it! I easily forget to answer anonymous reviewers here. Yup, I've read two of those, the one with Kim and Jared and the one about Jacob. And I just realized that I haven't reviewed the last one. I even remember that I thought that I had to do it later, because I was on my way out, and then I completely forgot. So I'll go and do that in a minute, because it was _really_ good!!**

**A Person: Hey, I know a person, is that you? **

**Lame joke, I know. Okay, it said that you reviewed first chapter, but since this is my only way to answer, seeing that you don't have an account *glares*... THANKS for the review, and I don't think I've ever tasted cheese puffs. But I trust you, there is probably a very big difference. There is also a difference between Fanta and Solo, but Cola and Pepsi both taste like crap.**

**I bought a CD today. **

**I just had to get that out, because I'm proud. I haven't bought a CD for... a long time. **

**I've just been doing illegal things like downloading from the internet, so I felt very nice today when I _bought_ a CD. **

**My friend just laughed at me. **

**And my mum said it was a waste of money. **

**So I need someone to tell me that I was good! Please? **

**Okay, I keep rambling about uninteresting things here, so here's a little about the story: **

**Maia and Embry's relationship is supposed to be a little awkward, since they're both sort of holding back. Since she's obviously determined to like someone else, and since she sort of thinks he's a drug dealer... But she can't say that there's no chemistry there, either. **

**And he don't want to pressure her either, right? **

**Or, that's what I'm thinking. **

**You can hate it if you want, I respect other people's opinions. **

**Okay, not _all_ people's opinions, I read this thing about a woman having a sexual relationship with a tree. Yes, a _tree_. It was disturbing. **

**That was random too...**

**Okay, a question, so you have something to talk about if there's nothing interesting in the story:**

**What's your favorite book(s)? **

**Because I'm in this crisis where I've run out of books, and I don't think it's healthy for me to read Twilight _again_. **


	8. Socialized?

**I do not own anything, bla, bla, bla...**

* * *

I waited restlessly for Melissa to finish in the bathroom. I couldn't sit still. I was fidgeting nervously with the blanket on her bed, biting my lip almost in half.

What if she was pregnant?

What if she wanted to keep the baby?

What if she wanted to abort it?

If she kept it, what about money?

And Paul?

And her dad?

And why the heck was I in the middle of all this?

I sighed. The sound of it was ripped up by my nerves, making it sound more like a sob than a sigh.

The bathroom door opened, and I jumped up immediately. Melissa looked upset. Oh no. No. No, no, no… God. She walked slowly towards me, and in the dim light I saw her quiet tears slide uninterrupted down her cheeks.

"I'm really pregnant," she whispered. None of us moved for a second, then she burst into a loud, shrieking, hopeless sob, throwing her whole body at me. I immediately caught her, holding her around her waist as she hung heavily on me with her arms around my neck.

My knees wobbled dangerously. "O-okay," I pressed out, staggering backwards at her weight. I found the bed, sitting down with a quiet sigh of relief, and pushing her so that she sat beside me and not on top of me. I let my arms slid around her shoulders and hold her close. It felt unnatural, but at the same time right.

After a long time, when my shirt was wet and unclean and Melissa had used up all her tears, she finally sat back up. She wiped her face, like she was trying to gain some of her dignity back.

"I'm aborting it," she said sternly, her voice flat as if she was struggling to keep it that way. She cleared her throat.

"Are you sure?" I asked quietly. She nodded. I didn't say it, but actually I was a bit relieved. I couldn't really see Melissa as a mother, she wasn't strong enough, at least not now when she was still just a kid. Though, at the same time, many people that aborted had to live the rest of their life with their guilt.

"I don't want a kid. I don't even know the father," she said logically and firmly.

"Okay," I repeated.

"And you're coming with me," she demanded.

"Um –"

"I can't tell anyone else, and now that you're in, you're not getting out of it that easily," she simply said. I shook my head.

"Sure."

"Now go," she ordered. I did as she said, not because I wanted to obey her, but because I didn't really want to stay down here any longer.

I was up the stairs in four long strides, walking to the kitchen. No one was there (no surprise), and that meant no one was making lunch, and that did _not_ mean I was making it. I helped myself to an apple from the fruit bowl on the table, and a pile of papers caught my attention.

Not caring if I was being nosy, I plumped down on one of the kitchen chairs, scooting one of the papers closer to me.

It was printout with the headline . There was a picture of a woman, a pretty woman with blonde, wild curls, and a beautiful smile. Beside her picture, it said that she was 32 (haha, more like 40) and where she lived and that she was interested in a relationship with a man.

Frowning, I reached for another one of the sheets. This one was older, and slightly overweight. Giggling I went through all of the printouts, having a good time as I read all the facts about the random women.

Online dating services?

It had to be Horton.

I mean, Paul was married (though I didn't think he would sink this low, anyway) and Melissa… well, the thought was actually immensely disturbing. For her own and everyone else's good, I hoped she wasn't checking up middle-aged women on the internet.

But uncle Horton?

He could most definitely do something like this.

I was interrupted as my phone rang, and I answered it in a giddy voice.

"Hello?" I said cheerily.

"Madeline, it's your dad."

And there my happiness disappeared.

"Ah, great, just the person I wanted to talk to," I said sarcastically.

"Don't be mean, Maddy. You know I want to talk to you," he told me seriously.

And that was just so completely beside the point. Yes_, I know you're obsessed, dad, but _I _don't want to talk to _you_._ I waited in silence for him to say anything, and heard a disapproving sigh in the other end.

"Fine. I just wanted to hear if you've considered my offer any further?"

"What offer?" I asked with a disgusted voice.

"I asked if you wanted to visit me and Stephen for the summer."

"I already answered that," I said acidly. "No."

"Maddy –"

"Don't call me that."

"Madeline," he clarified, waiting for approval. "We really want you to visit."

"Stephen just wants me to watch his stupid tarantella when you two have a cozy time in the bedroom," I spat, shuddering at my own words.

"Madeline!"

"Eustace!"

"Don't take that tone," he said roughly. I laughed shortly. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay. Let's relax, shall we? We don't have to end all of our conversations like this."

Like what?

The same way we start them?

"It's not why I called. I just wanted to remind you of the nice neighbor boy, remember Billy?"

Of _course_ I remembered Billy.

"Well, he said he wanted to see you. He misses you, Maddy," dad said gently. Right. Billy probably didn't even remember me. I'd seen him once, and it was in the middle of a hissy fight with dad. The only reason I remembered him was that he had interrupted out fight just to tell me that my shoe-lace was loose.

"Is that supposed to be a way to convince me to visit?" I asked sourly. "Because it's not working. Just because that little creep is obsessed with _me_, does _not_ mean that I necessarily want to spend time with _him_."

"Maddy, be nice –"

"It's _Madeline_," I cut him off. Okay, it was Maia, but I didn't want _him_ to call me that. Maia was for my friends only.

"He's a really cute boy," dad insisted.

"Because he's _gay_, just like you?"

"Madeline!" he exclaimed.

I decided it was time to end this conversation. Silently, I got up, searching the cupboards in the kitchen.

"What'd you say dad? I can't hear you," I said, talking loud and clear.

"Don't hang up, Maddy –"

"What?" I asked, finding what I was looking for in one of the cupboards. I dragged out the empty plastic bag, bringing it up to the phone. "I can't hear what you're saying," I said while I clenched the bag in my hand, making noises that sounded like I had bad reception.

"Maddy –"

"I'll call you back," I lied, hanging up.

I turned off my phone, holding it in my hand in front of my face. "So there!" I said, smiling smugly. Then, suddenly, a warm hand fell on my shoulder.

I jumped in surprise, and my phone flew out of my hand in the process.

A hand shot out and caught it long before it hit the floor.

Gaping, I looked to find the owner of the hand.

Paul wasn't even looking at the phone, he was looking at me, smiling faintly.

"Hi," he said.

I glanced at the phone again.

"Nice catch," I complimented hesitantly.

"Thanks," he answered, handing me it. Rachel came up behind him, and he automatically turned, smiling. "What took you so long?" he asked teasingly. She shot him a mocking dark look, and hit his shoulder.

"Funny," she said, sticking her tongue out. He chuckled. Inside joke, obviously.

They both turned to me. "Are you going to the bonfire tonight?" Paul asked me straight-forward. Rachel was smiling, exposing her pearl-blank white teeth in a convincing smile.

"I don't know," I answered. Cara and Gabe had been talking about that, and I'd said I would go with them. But… if Paul was asking, did that mean Embry was going too?

And I was _not_ supposed to _want_ him to be there.

I was supposed to _not_ want him to be there.

So there!

"We're all going. It'll be fun," Rachel helped.

"Yeah, but –"

"You can't have plans today, too," Paul interrupted me.

"I might have," I said in a low voice.

"Then cancel them. If you won't come willingly, we'll drag you there," Rachel warned with another smile. I glanced at Paul, and he nodded in agreement.

"But –"

"We're serious," Rachel cut me off.

"I don't doubt it," I muttered and they both chuckled at the same time. "Fine, I'll go," I said, resigned. Paul unexpectedly ruffled my hair, and I scooted away automatically, but with a slight smile.

"Great! See you tonight," Rachel said friendly. "Oh. Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Okay. But remember, if you're not there, we'll have someone come get you," she said in a warning tone. I laughed shortly, and they both turned to leave. I heard their voices through the open kitchen window when they got out.

"See? I told you we'd get her to come," she said smugly.

"Yeah, yeah," was the answer she got.

People were pushy here in La Push.

Well, it figured, didn't it?

La _Push_.

I slumped back into the kitchen chair.

Who knew La Push was so stressful? I mean, pregnant teenagers, crazy friends, in love with one who I wasn't sure if he felt the same, and this obnoxious guy hovering over my every step (whom I did _not_ like), an uncle that used online dating services, a cousin and his wife who both was determined to socialize me with everyone on this reservation? And at the same time I had a father with a husband, and a mother who was dating a guy that was almost a teenager?

I really did have a weird life.

* * *

**Yeah, this was really short, I know. **

**Next one will be a little longer (I hope). **

**Thanks for all the book tips! I made a list with all of them, and it was a long list. **

**_Very_ long. **

**They don't sell any of them in the book stores here, of course, so I'll have to order them. **

**But they all sounded so good! I can't wait to read them. And now I'll have books for a long time!!**

**I like Paul/Rachel. I really do. **

**I almost freaked out this morning, do you want to know why? **

**I posted last chapter like 00.30 or something, and then I went to bed. When I got up, about 11.00 (summer holiday, which means I sleep in), I had 58 reviews. 58! **

**That's ten new reviews over the night! **

**And that's insane. And it also tells me that many of you stay up _way_ too long. Don't you have school or something?? **

**And yes, I do the same. Call me hypocritical. **

**Anyways, I wanted to say thank you to all my amazing reviewers!! And to DannieFreak, especially, who got an account! Yay!! **

**Okay, these are some of my favorite books: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. Harry Potter-series. The Host. A series by Diana Gabaldon called "Outlander" or something. The House Of Night-series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. Old Magic by Marianne Curley. And a bunch of norwegian books, but there's no point in mentioning them since no one will know what I'm talking about anyway. **

**Well, those are the books I can remember right now...**

**Two questions:**

**1: Favorite vampire? (Any, Cullen or not)**

**2: What's the difference between envy and jealous?**


	9. Dear God

**OMG! **

**I forgot to say something! **

**I should have said it a _long_ time ago, but I completely forgot! *bangs head in wall***

**RIP Michael Jackson! **

**So there. **

**I don't own Twilight, but now I own a hole in my wall. Damn...**

* * *

The evening came faster than I expected, and Gabe and Cara picked me up. Cara was obviously determined to be obnoxious about Embry, but I was glad to see Gabe tense a little at every mention of Embry.

"Sure, he's creepy, but he's really nice, right?"

"Right," I answered obediently.

"And romantic, or I guess he is."

"Definitely."

"And cute. And funny. Is he smart?"

"Don't know, probably." Well, he _did_ know the square root of pi…

I knew it wasn't because Cara wanted _me_ to succeed she kept rambling like this. It was mostly for Gabe. I knew they were very protective of each other, and very close. So she probably enjoyed making fun of him like this, and at the same time pushing us two closer so _he_ would be happy.

Not me.

And this was _not_ just something I was imagining.

We were warmly welcomed when we arrived. Or, _I_ was. I heard my name being called from everywhere, and Rachel hurried over to me to give me a hug.

"We were almost about to come look for you," she told me, frowning. "I'm glad you could come. And you two, too," she added half-heartedly to Cara and Gabe.

Several of the people around the fire waved at me. I recognized Seth, Brady, Paul, Sam and Emily. I waved warily back, smiling uncertainly. I noticed Embry was sitting there too, but not right next to the others. He looked a little lonely, and he was looking at me with an inscrutable expression.

"Come on, sit down, guys," Rachel continued, tugging my hand. I turned to Cara and Gabe, and found them both with their mouths slightly open. I sent Cara a helpless look.

She collected herself.

"Yeah, let's sit down," she copied Rachel, grabbing the hood of Gabe's sweater, jerking him with her. Then she took the hood of _my_ sweater, pushing me in the direction of Embry.

"If you don't sit down with him, I might just murder you," she muttered in my ear.

Great.

I shouldn't be here.

I should have gone into hiding.

I didn't like this jealousy-games Cara was playing here.

Okay, maybe a little…

Embry looked happy, though. He smiled widely at me, his eyes sparkling, so I smiled back. Okay, so he _was_ cute. Like _really_ cute, especially when he smiled like _that_.

"Hi," I said, and he smiled even wider, if possible.

"Hey," he replied happily, scooting away on the ground so there was more than enough room for me between him and a stone. But as I sat down, he moved closer again, and I felt his arm press into mine. I did my best not to cringe away from him.

Not because I didn't like the way it felt. I actually liked that a lot, much more than I should. And that was the reason, because I didn't _want_ to feel that way. It wasn't healthy for me to _like_ a guy in a _gang_, who may or may not be a drug dealer.

"You look nice," he complimented me as he measured me with his eyes. I smiled automatically, fidgeting self-consciously on the sleeve of my hoodie.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"So. How did things go after today?"

After…?

Oh.

"It was positive," I answered. No one was paying attention to our conversation (except Rachel. Was she always this nosy?) but still, I couldn't risk having anyone guess what we were talking about.

"What's happening now?"

"Take it away," I said in a carefree voice that absolutely did not fit the seriousness of the conversation we were secretly having.

"Oh," he answered. We watched each other in silence for a few seconds, then we both burst out laughing.

Which was totally weird.

Nothing was funny.

We were just both very strange.

"How was your day then, after this morning?" I asked as the laughter faded out.

"Nothing special."

"As in?"

"I cleaned the garage?"

"Really?"

"No," he said shaking his head. "I just needed something to say."

"What _did_ you do?"

"Played PlayStation with Seth," he admitted. I laughed. "But I thought that cleaning the garage sounded a bit more impressive."

"You're right. It did."

"I beat Seth, though," he told me.

"Did not," it came from the other side of the fire. Oh, so people _were_ paying attention to our conversation after all?

"Shh," Embry hissed, and I laughed.

I was not acting!

But, I _needed_ to see if Gabe was watching me.

I subtly turned my head in his direction.

He was watching.

_And_ he looked jealous.

Or maybe that was just my imagination, but at least he hurried to look away when he met my gaze. Smiling, smugly, I turned back, meeting Embry's still smiling face.

"What did _you_ do?" he asked me.

"I… ate an apple," I started. He interrupted me there.

"Red or green or yellow?"

"What?"

"What color was it?" he asked impatiently. I blanked.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Just curious," he said innocently.

"You're weird," I noted.

"You're weirder," he argued.

"So I've been told," I said darkly, and he nudged my side.

"Don't worry, I like you anyways," he assured me. Like, or _like_? There was a _big_ difference there. I wondered if he was aware of that, or if he just used the word the same way he would have used it if he was talking about how he liked lemonade? Or something else, like dogs, since I didn't want to compare myself to something you drink.

"It was yellow, by the way," I remembered.

"What was?"

I rolled my eyes. "The apple."

"Riiight," he grinned.

I shrugged. "You were the one to ask," I reminded him.

"Sure. After that?"

"Nosing around in my uncle's private life," I said without thinking. Maybe that wasn't such a smart move. Embry's eyebrows went up in surprise, and he smiled.

"Oh?"

What the heck.

"Yup. He uses online dating services."

Embry chuckled.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I don't see why he printed out the profiles, though, because anyone can sort of accidently and without having any secret or obvious intention of being nosy stumble over them when they lie alone and exposed like that in the middle of the kitchen table," I told him matter-of-factly.

"I believe you," he said quickly, laughing shortly. "What did you find out?"

"He likes blondes," I said.

"Interesting," he smiled.

"Yeah. And I don't think he's looking for a lasting relationship either, because most of those women lived in England or somewhere far away," I added.

Embry nodded with a smile, just rolling his eyes a _little_.

"I'm not _that_ weird," I said, faking offended.

"Not at all," he agreed teasingly.

"Seriously."

"Yeah, I know," he grinned.

"Okay, but _people_ are weird. _Everyone's_ weird."

"Am _I_ weird?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious. I hid my smile.

"Are you kidding? You're the weirdest person I've ever met!" His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Am not," he grinned, poking my side. I squirmed away, holding my hands up for protection. He smirked. "Are you ticklish?" he asked.

I shook my head fast. "No, I just felt like moving away from you so that the weirdness doesn't infect me too," I explained. He shook his head knowingly.

"You're ticklish," he stated, trying to poke me again. I put both my arms over my stomach, cringing away.

"I'll bite you," I warned, saying the first thing that came to my mind. He laughed first, then put on a serious face. Looking away, he said:

"If it's going to be _that_ way…"

I stared at him where he sat with his face turned away from me, wondering how long he'd hold it up till he broke into laughter or something. Or maybe I would laugh first.

Ten seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

Forty seconds.

Two minutes?

Wow, he was good.

I started to lose my patience, and was about to give up when someone else suddenly joined us.

"What'd you do to him, hurt his manhood or something?"

The voice startled me, and I jumped, turning my head quickly to see who it was. Seth was just sitting down on the ground next to me, grinning towards Embry. I smiled faintly.

"Not that I know," I answered.

Seth nodded knowingly. "Don't worry, he's never angry for long."

I smiled. "You sound like you know a lot."

"Yeah, he gets mad for anything," Seth explained. "Or, not really mad, more like sulky."

"Oh, really?" I asked, eyening Embry teasingly.

"Yeah," Seth said eagerly. "See, there was this one time, and he had this weird toy, I think it was a balloon or something filled with rice. Right, Em?" Seth asked, and without waiting for a response, he continued. "And it had hair made out of threads. See, I thought it would be fun to lift it by its hair, and then the whole thing broke and his bed was filled with rice."

I laughed.

"And do you know what he was upset about?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Guess," Seth continued eagerly.

"That it was rice all over his bed?" I guessed. Seth shook his head, grinning.

"Nope. He didn't even care. He was just mad that his mum didn't save him the remains of the balloon, because he liked the pretty green color. Right, Em?" Seth repeated.

I laughed again, looking for any sort of reaction from Embry. He kept completely still. I'll admit, he was _very _good.

"What else?" I urged Seth, liking this game.

"Well, there was this time a few years ago, when Embry had a new skateboard. Remember, Em?" We both looked at "Em", but he didn't move. _Really_ stubborn.

"What happened?"

"He was _really_ proud of it, and then when he came to show it, Jacob had gotten one just the same."

"So?"

"So he was upset," Seth told me, rolling his eyes. "Don't ask me why, 'cause I have no idea. He just _is_ that weird."

"That's what I told him too," I said with a smirk.

"Okay, I get it, enough," Embry suddenly said, turning.

"But I didn't even get to tell the one about the muffins at Emily's," Seth complained, and Embry stretched out his incredibly long arm and had slapped the side of Seth's head faster than I could see. "Ow," Seth mumbled, before he abruptly got up. "I'll go now," he said, suddenly smirking at both of us.

"What happened with the muffins at Emily's?" I asked eagerly as Seth walked away. I thought I heard a chuckle from Seth, but ignored it. Embry shook his head dismissively.

"Nothing," he said lowly.

"Come on, tell me," I demanded. He shook his head again. "Okay, I'll ask Seth, then," I told him with a smile.

"Fine," he said quickly, like he really didn't like the thought of me leaving. "It wasn't anything big, and Seth would probably just exaggerate, because it wasn't _that bad_. It was a bad day."

"So, what happened?" I urged.

"Brady ate the last muffin," Embry muttered. I laughed, shaking my head at his stupidity. Or, all men's stupidity, really. "It's not funny," he insisted.

"Not at all," I agreed.

He narrowed his eyes. "You're mean."

"Yeah, and I'm proud of it," I grinned.

I suddenly remembered Gabe. How could I have forgotten! I immediately turned to look at him, and saw that he was staring. He met my gaze, and a panicked expression flushed over his face. He hurried to smile shortly at me, before he turned back to Cara who was talking to a girl I didn't know.

Cara looked up just as Gabe looked away, and she winked encouragingly at me.

A wave of guilt flashed over me. What was I doing? I liked _Gabe_. Not this scary, big dude that was part of a gang that were doing god-knows-what!

Protectors.

Right.

What if they really were up to something bad? Like, _really_ bad? What if they were some sort of mafia, or a part of something bigger, like a world-wide organization or something?

And what was I? Was I a part of it?

God, I watched _way_ too much TV. Seriously.

Well, I guess I could blame the dark here. And the weird atmosphere. It felt strange to be here, I suddenly realized. Or, it was probably just also a result of my overactive imagination.

Shaking my head slightly, I turned back to Embry. He was watching me curiously.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I put on a stone-mask. Was I really that easy to read?

"Yeah, sure," I answered automatically.

I do not like Embry.

I do not like Embry.

I like Gabe.

Not Embry.

Gabe.

_Gabe_.

Maybe if I repeated it enough times in my head, I would make myself understand. Embry was _bad news_. Really bad news. Someone any father would tell their daughter to stay far away from. Except _my_ dad, of course, he would probably tell me that Embry was hot.

Which he was.

Argh!

Think of something else.

Like… Gabe's blue eyes. God, I love his blue eyes.

"What are you thinking?" Embry asked me, looking at me almost worryingly.

"Nothing," I answered quickly. Too quickly.

"Okay," he said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. I smiled at him, trying to shrug it away like a joke or something. As usual he smiled when I smiled.

"Are you going to stay till the stories?" Embry asked me in a cheerier voice.

"I guess so," I answered, glancing at Gabe and Cara again. They didn't look like they were going to leave anytime soon. "Why, aren't you?"

Did I sound a little hopeful?

If I did, was that a bad thing, or a good thing?

I couldn't be sure…

"Sure I am," he said with a snort, like anything else was completely despicable.

"Cool," I mumbled.

Gabe's blue eyes.

Gabe's blue eyes.

Gabe's blue eyes!

It was working, I thought to myself, smiling smugly.

And then Embry smiled.

Gah!

I was _not_ supposed to _like_ him.

God, get out of here…

I pulled the sleeves of my hoodie down when a weak wind flew over us, shivering slightly. Embry was over me at once.

"Are you cold?" he asked immediately.

"No," I answered quickly, avoiding any kind of romantic "here's my jacket"-scenario. I wasn't going to play this stupid jealousy-game anymore. Actually, I should just get up right now and walk over to Gabe. Then I should tell him, right in front of Embry, that I _liked_ him.

Of course I didn't do that.

Part because I would never have dared that.

And part because just then I felt Embry's arms sneak around me, pulling me closer. I was too taken aback to protest, and by the time I realized what was happening, I was being held securely by his side.

"Is this better?" he asked in a light voice.

"Uh-huh," I mumbled.

Okay, this wasn't going to be nice. I couldn't pull away either, because _that_ would hurt Embry's pride pretty bad. I mean, I'm not _evil_. I was too nice, that was the problem.

_And_ Gabe looked like he was about to explode.

I know, I wasn't going to play that jealousy-game anymore, but what could I do?

And the warmth was so comfortable…

Focus!

Okay, I needed to get out of this, and as soon as possible. When was it okay for me to say that I was warm now, and that I didn't need him anymore? A few minutes? Something like that. _And_ I shouldn't enjoy this either.

I forced myself to sit rigidly, not to lean my head against his shoulder like I wanted to. I clenched my hands around my knees, holding so hard it almost hurt. If Embry noticed this he didn't bother mentioning it.

"So, when are you going back home?" Embry asked me, snapping me out of my dozy though-process. I counted days in my head.

"Seven weeks and two days?" I guessed.

"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed. He paused for a few seconds. Then he asked me, much cheerier again: "How old are you?"

"Sixteen," I answered. Hadn't I told him that before?

"Oh," he repeated. Obviously not.

Okay, again with this awkwardness.

I tried to find something stupid to talk about, since this always seemed to be our saving when we were tongue-tied like this.

"So, what's up with everyone being so freakishly large here?" I asked casually.

Embry laughed shortly, a rumbling, almost bitter sound. "You don't want to know."

"Oh?"

"Really."

Well, that wasn't helpful.

"What do you guys really do? This gang-thing rumor doesn't sound very realistic," I told him. Okay, so it _did_ sound _kind of_ realistic.

"We're protectors," he answered me warily.

"Yeah, I got that part," I said teasingly. "But what do you _do_?"

"Protect people."

Oh, _really_?

I wouldn't have guessed.

"From what?"

"Dangerous things."

I tilted my head up to look at him, narrowing my eyes. I stared at him suspiciously as he did his best with making an innocent-looking face. Let me say: he did not succeed.

"Do people always have to haul things out of you?" I asked.

He forced a laugh. "No, not normally," he admitted.

"How come I'm so special?" I asked, a little bitterly.

He stared at me for a long moment.

Too long, I started to feel a little self-conscious when he finally said:

"You just are," he mumbled.

I frowned, trying to understand what the hell he meant by that. The international mafia-hypothesis suddenly snapped into my brain again, and my mind swirled with pictures from spy-films and crime-stories…

_God, stop that! _

"Okay," I stuttered.

He smiled faintly at me.

After another long minute of staring, he suddenly did something unexpected. In a weird angle, he started to lean his head down towards mine, eyening me carefully.

His eyes went to my lips.

Oh, dear God.

* * *

**Okay, I tried to make this chapter longer. **

**If the ending is unclear: Yes, he wants to kiss her. **

**So there's a cliffy. **

**A few of you answered my question about favorite vamp, so I'll just say that my favorites are Jane and Alec. Period. **

**No one answered to the difference between envy and jealous, so I guess it's a tough question. I'm only asking because I made a fool of myself when I was supposed to explain it to my mentor on my english oral exam. **

**alexTYLERbinns: I strongly advise you to get an account. Really. I forget this all the time. Other than that, thanks for the review!! *grins*. I think my brother actually read The Maximum Ride-series, and that's probably why I never read them. Whatever he does, I don't. But, if you say they're good, I'll trust you. And the other tips, too, thanks!!**

**I'm so tired now.. So I'll go to bed. I've had too much milk and cookies. **

**Question: did anyone ever understand why Edward said he could fix Mike's car? I never got it...**


	10. Mess up

**I don't own anything. **

**(Okay, seriously, _DO I NEED TO SAY THAT EVERY TIME_!?)**

* * *

No…

No, no, no!

God, what had I done to deserve this?

I couldn't let him kiss me. I didn't want to. Well, I _did_ want to but I _shouldn't_ want to. Gabe. Gabe, Gabe, Gabe, Gabe, Gabe. Gabe's blue eyes!

Would it really be that bad, just to let him kiss me once? I wondered how it would feel… no. God, no. This was _not_ right. _Move, Maia! Turn your head or something_. Anything. He couldn't kiss me. Couldn't.

He was hesitating. His eyes went over my face fast, trying to understand what I was thinking. Just as I moved my head a little away from him, he immediately lifted his head back up. Then he grinned like nothing had happened.

"So," he started casually. I blinked. Had I just imagined it? No. I hadn't. I was sure about that.

Oh God. What had I just done? Had I just _not_ kissed Embry? When I _wanted_ it _so_ bad? _God, Maia!_ _You stupid little squirrel!_ Why do I always have to mess up like this? And what about him? Had I hurt him? He didn't look hurt.

A new realization hit me.

What if he was just playing with me? What if everything he said and did was just a big joke, and he thought I was just a little brat who he found it amusing to mess around with?

_Okay, stop_.

This was _not_ making me feel better.

"The stories are about to start," Embry told me. I nodded, relieved. Good, then I didn't have to talk to him for a long time. I could just sit here and enjoy the warmth from him… God. I was so stupid.

As Billy Black started the stories, I couldn't concentrate. I glanced over at Gabe a few times, and he wasn't looking at me. But I think he was forcing himself not to. He looked a bit tensed, and he was clenching his hands slightly.

_How_ had I gotten myself into this? At home I was never the girl the guys liked. Any guy, really, would naturally turn to Lena, 'cause she was tall and thin and blonde. And, therefore, I had no idea how to act around boys. That didn't seem to bother Gabe and Embry, though.

Embry suddenly tightened his arm a little, probably reacting to something in the story. I looked up at him, and he smiled at me. The way his eyes were filled with emotion confused me, and I only gave him a faint, hesitating smile back.

He was so different from other boys. I couldn't really understand what he was thinking, and the things he did were so weird. I couldn't point out why, though, he was just _more_. Like he was much… now, he was just simply _more_. There was no better word for it.

But I had no idea why he even bothered. I was boring, and I knew it too. He had no reason to like me in the first place, I had acted idiotic the first time I met him, and after that we had barely had a normal conversation. So that was a big question.

I barely heard anything of the legends; I was too busy with my own thoughts. People started to get up to leave when the stories were finished, and I did too. I untangled myself (with some difficulties, I may say) from Embry's arms, and stood up. He copied me, smiling like always.

"Did you like the stories?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "Yeah," I lied. He shook his head.

"You weren't listening," he said disapprovingly. I smiled innocently.

"I'm a little tired," I excused myself, and he shook his head mockingly again. Then he looked at something over my shoulder, and grimaced a little.

"I have to go somewhere. You'll get a ride home, right?" he asked me.

"Yeah, sure," I said quickly. He narrowed his eyes, like he didn't believe me. "Gabe and Cara will give me a ride," I added.

"Okay, good," he answered. He hesitated a little, like he didn't know what to do next. I wasn't up for any awkward hug or anything like that right now, so I just waved my hand stupidly.

"See you," I said shortly, before turning to walk to Cara and Gabe. I only got a few steps till he called my name.

"Wait, Maia?" he said, and I turned back around to see him hurrying over to me.

"Yeah?"

"You're staying inside tonight, right?" he asked me. I blinked.

"Uh, yeah, why?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, just checking."

Like I said: weird.

Really weird.

"Okay. Bye," I repeated, starting to walk again. Once again he stopped me after just a few steps.

"It's just that," he started, then he trailed off. He bit his lip, then continued. "Try and stay inside as much as you can, okay?"

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"'Cause there's dangerous… things here right now," he explained poorly. I raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Please?" he asked. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Okay, that _was_ cute.

But I still didn't like it.

"What's so dangerous, then?" I asked casually.

"Won't you just trust me?" he pleaded.

_No._

"Sure," I answered. An uncommitted answer. I trusted him (sort of), but I wasn't going to change my daily routine for him. With a small smile I turned for the _third_ time, and this time he didn't stop me.

I joined Cara and Gabe. Cara was smiling smugly towards Gabe, who was not looking at her at all. He wasn't looking at me either, for that matter. He was staring at nothing. God, I'd made him angry. Great. Just great.

"Ready to go?" Cara asked cheerily. I'm serious, it looked like she was about to explode in happiness.

"I think I'll walk home," I told her.

Yes, that was part because Embry had told me to stay inside. I never liked to do as I was told. And I liked walking. People seriously underrated walking.

"Are you sure?" Cara asked, but she looked like she _really_ liked the idea. I glanced at Gabe, and he looked even more down now.

"Yeah," I said certainly.

"'Kay," Cara chirped.

Then someone tapped my arm.

I was seriously about to yell "WHAT" in annoyance. What was it with people not leaving me alone here?

"Hi," Seth said, grinning carelessly.

"What do you want?" I asked, a bit sharper that I intended. I cleared my throat to shake off the anger.

"Is someone giving you a ride home?" he asked me, ignoring my sharp tone.

"_Yes_, Cara and Gabe," I lied. I could feel their confusion, but didn't turn. That would give me away, so instead I smiled at Seth innocently.

"Really?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes, _really_," I answered. He didn't believe me. "Was it Embry that told you to ask?" I asked him, the annoyance clear in my voice now. Seth nodded with a grin.

"He said to make sure you didn't do anything stupid like walk home," he told me. He emphasized 'walk home'. Had he heard me talk to Cara and Gabe? I looked around, expecting to see Embry somewhere. But he had already left, it seemed.

"Well, tell him that I'm fine and that I can take care of myself," I said acidly. "And that he can mind his own business."

Seth laughed shortly. "I'll be sure to pass that on," he promised. "So they'll drive you, right?" he checked.

I nodded.

"Good. Bye," he grinned, and walked away. I turned back to Cara and Gabe. Gabe looked a bit happier, even meeting my gaze this time.

"Just drive me part of the way. These guys freak out for nothing," I mumbled. Cara laughed whole-heartedly, putting an arm over Gabe's shoulders to lead him towards the car.

"They _like_ you, Maia," she declared.

"If that's what they're doing, it's annoying," I muttered.

I let them drive me for about one minute, then I ordered Gabe to pull over and let me walk.

"Do you want to do something tomorrow?" Gabe asked me just as I was about to climb out of the car.

"Yeah, sure," I said happily.

I noticed that my stomach didn't flutter like it had before. God, I had been spending too much time with Embry lately. I forgot how to _like_ Gabe. That wasn't good.

"What do you want to do?"

"Whatever, if it involves moving. I can't sit still for a whole day," I grinned.

"We noticed," Gabe smiled back. A smile that should have made my knees wobble. But it didn't. I didn't react to it at all. Slightly annoyed at myself, I smiled extra widely at Gabe as I slammed the door closed.

Cara winked and smiled at me as they drove away. At least she got it the way she wanted.

I dug up my phone, and found that Lena had called me twice. I called her back, since I had nothing better to do.

"Mazie!" she cried as soon as she answered.

"Wow, did I miss something?" I asked, rubbing my ear.

"You missed _everything!" _she hissed excitedly.

"As in?"

"There was a party right? Or, I mean, _is_ a party, 'cause I'm still there, but anyway –"

"Have you been drinking?" I asked her disapprovingly.

"Not much," she defended. "I can walk on a straight line and everything, I checked."

"Lena," I moaned.

"But, listen, you have to hear what happened," she said, undistracted by my complaints. "See, Tony was here, right? And that Marlie-girl broke up with him, 'cause she said something about bad habits or whatever. So he was a little drunk, right?"

"Yeah?"

"And you know what they say, that you always hear the truth from drunk people."

"I never heard that," I disagreed.

"Well, _I_ have. And he was like, there, and then I was there, and then he said that he loved me!"

She stopped, probably waiting for some cheering from my side. "Lee, he was drunk. He probably said that to everyone –"

"No, he didn't, because do you know what he did next?"

"What did he do next?"

"He kissed me!" she squealed.

Silence.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Mazie?"

"Wasn't it gross?" I asked.

"No," she said, dragging out the word. "It was _amazing_. He's like, a really good kisser –"

"I trust Marlie on this one. Seriously, he's not good for you."

"You sound like my mum," she complained.

Why did everyone keep saying that? I was a kid, obviously the only reasonable kid in this world. I mean, I had to lecture my mum. And now my best friend. Maybe I should do dad later, and maybe Paul. I mean, married at eighteen?

That was beside the point.

Right.

"Where is he now?"

"Bathroom. Puking, I guess. I'm waiting for him," she chirped eagerly.

"Okay, just…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Sure, I will," she answered.

"Call me later. Or, tomorrow, I'll be sleeping later."

"Sure, bye," she said distantly, and hung up.

"God," I muttered.

A sound from the forest made me jump. I frantically stared into the darkness, but I couldn't see anything. It must have been my overactive imagination again. But I still quickened my pace.

As I pressed my phone back into my pocket, I lost my grip on it and it fell to the ground.

"Crap," I mumbled, falling to my knees to find it. Feeling stupid, I started gliding my hands over the asphalt. It wasn't there, of course, and soon my finger hit something sharp too hard. I pulled it to me with a low wince.

That's when I heard the low, grumbling breathing from an animal. I moved my gaze from the ground, feeling my heart beat fast in my chest.

A big, dark shadow stood a few feet away from me. I couldn't make out its features, it was too dark out for my eyes, but it didn't look like something I wanted to bump into.

I was frozen for several seconds. Then I slowly straightened my knees so that I stood up. I tried to catch my breath, but I couldn't. My heart beat so hard that I could almost hear it.

I forced myself to take a step backwards.

I knew what you were supposed to do when you met wild animals. No screaming or running, but walking. You were supposed to turn your back to them and walk away like nothing had happened, and you could even sing a song.

I couldn't turn around, though.

I just kept staggering backwards.

The animal made a snorting sound, before it turned away from me and disappeared swiftly into the forest.

I didn't let the relief wash over me. I paused for several seconds, breathing again, then the fright overtook me. I turned and started running back the way I'd come from, letting the tears slide as they pleased and I didn't even care about the sobs ripping through me.

I started waving my arms frantically when I saw a car approach, and it thankfully pulled over. Of course, I wasn't _that _happy when I saw who it was. Paul and Rachel both came hurrying out to me. Great, Paul would _so_ tell on me…

"Maia," Rachel gasped, coming over to me. I quickly wiped away the tears as Rachel put a strong arm around my shoulders, holding me close to her. "What happened?"

"It was a bear," I pressed out of my shivering mouth, fighting against the tears that were still coming. No one said anything for a few seconds.

"A bear?" Rachel asked then.

"I think so," I stuttered.

"What did it look like?" Paul asked me.

"I… couldn't see," I answered apologetically. Another pause.

"We'll drive you home," Rachel said suddenly, leading me towards the car.

Rachel and Paul talked to each other with muffled voices as we drove, and I couldn't hear what they said. I didn't bother trying either. I suddenly remembered something, and interrupted them.

"Was this what Embry thought was dangerous?" I asked.

"What did he say?" Paul asked.

"He told me not to be outside alone, because there are dangerous _things_ here," I explained. I had calmed down and even managed a sour tone.

"Yes, I guess it is," Paul answered distantly. I frowned. "He won't be happy to find out that you walked, you know," he reminded me. I moved uncomfortably in the car.

"I guess it's too much to ask you _not_ to tell him?" I tried. I could see Paul smile faintly, and I groaned quietly. "It's not even his business," I mumbled sullenly.

Rachel chuckled silently, and muttered something like "right", before she and Paul exchanged amused smiles. I rolled my eyes. Another inside joke, obviously.

They let me walk the short way from the drive-way to the house alone, after I assured them I was okay. I was not looking forward to face Embry again, even though it really wasn't his business. Why was he so protective? He had absolutely no reason to.

As I sank into my bed, I felt like this morning had been days ago. It had been a really long day. I had bought a pregnancy test, found out that my cousin _was_ pregnant and that she was aborting, I had gotten my uncle's car towed away (which reminded me I had to tell him…), and I had been to a bonfire where Embry almost had kissed me…

My thoughts stopped there.

Ugh, the almost-kiss.

I'd made a _big_ fool of myself.

* * *

**Okay, so this chapter isn't _as_ long as the last one. I tried my best??**

**I'm leaving tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll be able to write. It depends on everything. **

**I have a new question, and it's a weird one:**

**What does Bella do when she has her period? I mean, can't Edward smell it??**

**I have 89 reviews now!! That is really much, in my opinion, on nine chapters (ten with this one...). **

**To everyone who has alerted or favorited my story, that's cool and stuff, but reviewing doesn't take much longer time. **


	11. Untitled

**I found internet! *le gasp!!***

**Okay, so, an update here, it's longer than the last one, I think, at least _I_ think it's very long...**

**I OWN Twilight. **

**I own everything. All the characters. **

**I own Edward and Bella and Jacob and Seth and Sam and Emily and Kim and Jared and Alice and Emmet and Jasper and Rosalie and Esme and Carlisle and Embry and Quil etc. etc. **

**Sue me. **

* * *

I was woken up by muffled voices by my bed.

"She usually doesn't sleep this long," said Melissa's voice. What was she doing in my room?

"She's obviously a heavy sleeper, though," said another familiar voice. Rachel? Why were any of them in my room? Was it really so hard for people to leave me alone sometimes?

"Whatever. I'm outta here," Melissa mumbled. Finally! Someone's getting it.

"Maia," Rachel said. I felt that this was the start of a very long and annoying morning. "Maaaaaaaaia," she continued, shaking my shoulder. The shaking got harder, and when she was practically bouncing me up and down, I popped my eyes open to glare at her.

"What?" I snapped.

"Great, you're awake," she smiled brightly. I glared harder, and she smiled wider, innocently.

"What do you want?" I groaned rudely.

"I need you to get up."

"Can I ask why?"

"Yes."

I waited for her to say something, then sighed when I got it.

"Why?"

"Emily's invited us to Port Angeles. Kim is coming too," Rachel explained.

"Great. Have a nice trip," I mumbled, turning around and pressing my face into the pillow.

"_Us_ as in you too. Come one, get up," she urged me.

"I never agreed to that."

"_I_ agreed to that," she said cheerily, as if there was nothing wrong with that. I groaned. I _really_ didn't want to go to Port Angeles today. I wanted to have a lazy morning and do nothing until Gabe… Gabe!

"I have plans," I said smugly, turning to look at Rachel again. She frowned.

"With who?"

"Gabe."

She frowned even deeper. "Cancel," she simply said. I snorted. "Come on Maia. We're saving you here," she insisted.

"From Gabe?"

"Embry is back soon, and he'll come right over here. Do you really want to be confronted with him right now?"

Right.

I wasn't _allowed_ to walk outside alone.

That guy had issues. Really, issues.

"Fine," I grumbled, and Rachel beamed.

"Great," she chirped. "Go get dressed. Hurry, so we don't bump into Embry on the way." Okay, so she found my weak spot. I would have to do something about that, or else she could make me do anything.

I quickly got dressed in jeans and a fitted white shirt. I just skipped make-up for today. It wasn't like I was going on a date or anything. *pout*…

I grabbed my demine-jacket on the way out, and met Rachel in the hall. She was still grinning innocently, taking my arm in hers as we walked out.

"Don't be so sulky. We'll have a good time," she promised me.

"Yeah, probably." I forced a smile.

We picked up Emily and Kim on the way, and they were too overly enthusiastic. It _had_ to be something in the water here.

"What are you guys doing there, anyway?" I asked them.

"_We_, as in including you, are going shopping," Rachel told me. I grimaced a little, but didn't say anything. Sadly, Rachel was an expert on reading body language. "Don't tell me you don't like shopping?"

"I like shopping. When I'm in the mood for it," I said silently. Rachel chuckled.

"Don't worry, we'll get you in the mood," she assured me. That frightened me just a little.

"Don't look so worried," Kim told me, leaning forward in the backseat. "It's only for a few hours."

I fell limp in my seat. "And why didn't I just go see Embry?" I asked, faking the resented tone. They all laughed. "Why isn't that other girl here?" I asked suddenly. The other pretty girl, the one with almost the same name as Lena… "Leah?"

"She couldn't come today," Rachel answered lightly.

"Didn't stop me," I said.

"You're easier to convince," was the answer I got.

It actually wasn't that bad. I, of course, avoided buying anything, and they let me alone most of the time. I only had to compliment how _they_ looked every now and then, and listen to Kim's complaining about how she never found jeans that fit her right because she was too small.

In the middle of one of her rants, I remembered that I had to talk to Gabe. Either cancel or make new plans.

"Can I borrow someone's phone?"

"Who are you calling?" Rachel asked me suspiciously.

"Just Gabe. I haven't talked to him yet, and I lost my phone last night," I explained. I shuddered when I remembered the bear (or whatever it was). I had sort of blocked it out, 'cause it wasn't something I wanted to think about.

"Sure," she smiled, handing me her phone. It was one of those super-modern things with touch-screen and stuff. It took me a few minutes to understand how to call someone, then I dialed Cara's number.

She answered on the third ring.

"Buddy the elf, what's your favorite color?" she asked in a giggling voice. I laughed.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh. Hi, Maia." Was it just me, or did she sound a little disappointed? "Yeah, I'm just at Stacy's. what's up?" I had no idea who Stacy was, so I ignored it.

"Have you seen Gabe? I need to talk to him."

"Not today."

"Can you give me his number? I don't have my phone and stuff," I said.

"Sure."

After hanging up, I dialed the number she gave me, and Gabe didn't answer before the seven ring. He said 'hello' in a stressed voice.

"Hi, it's me," I said.

"Maia?"

"Yup."

"Oh, I tried calling you, but you didn't –"

"Lost my phone. Listen, I've sort of been kidnapped" Wink from Rachel. "so I don't know if we can do anything today after all."

"Okay," he said, trying to cover up the disappointed tone. "Where are you?"

"Port Angeles."

"Can't I meet you there, and we can see a movie or something?" he suggested hopefully.

"Sure," I answered eagerly. "What time will you be here?"

"An hour?"

"Great," I said enthusiastically. Yes, I had to force it a little, but I was going to fix that. I was going to like Gabe again, and it _was going to work_! "I'll see you then."

"What did you do?" Rachel asked me seriously as I returned the phone to her.

"Gabe's coming here, since I couldn't see him earlier," I said lightly. Of course, she didn't like that. Her face fell into a disapproving expression, and she stared accusingly at me. "What?"

"What about Embry?" she asked me.

"I thought I was avoiding Embry."

"Not anymore, you're not. I just needed you to come with us today. You are officially not avoiding him anymore." She held out her phone to me again. "Call back and cancel."

I laughed.

"Right. Not going to happen."

"Maia!"

"What?"

"What about _Embry_," she repeated.

"_What_ about Embry?" I copied her.

"How do you think he'll feel about that?"

"Rachel, we're _just_ friends," I told her slowly. She shook her head with a determined expression on her face.

"No, you're not. I've seen how you act around him, Maia."

"We're friends," I repeated stubbornly.

She kept shaking her head.

"It's not your business, anyway," I said eventually. She froze, then smiled sadly.

"You're right. But you _will_ regret it later, and I _will_ say "what'd I say" because I love it when I'm right," she said with a confident smile, before she turned back to the others.

I tried not to think about what she said the last hour, and I ignored the warning glance she threw me when I had her point out the direction to the cinema. Gabe was already there when I got there, and he beamed at me.

"So, what do you want to watch?" was his opening line.

It turned out to be an awkward date. I couldn't get my mind of Embry, thanks to Rachel, and Gabe was his happy self. I wished I could return the feelings, but it was impossible. Rachel would have been floating with smugness if she knew, so I had to be careful not to tell her how horribly my date had been.

"What'd you think?" Gabe asked me when we walked out of the cinema.

"It was good," I said, even though I had barely paid attention to the film at all.

"I thought so too," he smiled.

My plans about learning to like him again had not worked. I didn't even manage to pretend I liked him, and I saw that he noticed it. All because of Rachel. And Embry. Actually, it was mostly Embry's fault. Why did he have to be so weird?

"So, what do you want to do now?" Gabe asked me.

"Can we just go home? My head hurts." And it wasn't even a lie. All this thinking was obviously too much for me.

"Okay, sure," he said immediately.

The drive home was even more awkward. It was a great relief to step out of the car. I said good bye before he could even consider a first date-kiss or anything, and almost ran into the house.

Where I literally ran into someone else.

Someone big.

Embry, of course.

"Oh, God, _you're_ here," I said without thinking as he steadied me. The steadying-part was unnecessary. I was barely jostled.

"No, God isn't here, Embry is," said a frighteningly familiar voice from the living room. Rachel came into the hall, with Paul right behind here. "We were just leaving," she told me. "So we won't disturb you."

_Evil_.

She was really evil.

"Hi," Embry said with a slight smile when the two others left.

"Hey," I answered awkwardly.

Silence. Again!

"So…" I started.

"Are you okay?"

"What?"

"Yesterday?" he hinted gently.

"Oh." I shuddered again, remembering. "Right. I'm okay." He looked at me for a few seconds, then he made a disapproving grimace. Great, he was going to be all fatherly on me now.

"I told you not to be outside so much," he reminded me.

"Yes."

"I said it was dangerous."

"Yes, and now I believe you," I promised and smiled innocently. "Was it the bear you didn't want me to meet? Is that what you protect everyone from?"

He seemed unwilling to answer, and when he did, he sounded hesitant. "Yeah, something like that." I was about to ask what he meant with that, but he spoke again. "Here – Paul found it." And he held out my phone.

I took it. "Paul did?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I frowned, but didn't say anything. I never told Paul I lost my phone, did I? Maybe I did. I couldn't remember. But still, did he just happen to stumble over it? It couldn't be easy to _look_ for something on those roads. Everything looked the same.

"Okay."

"Gabe called," Embry told me. His voice sounded curious, like he wanted to know why Gabe had called. Or was it something else? Jealousy? Maybe?

"Oh, okay," I repeated.

"Did you have fun?" he asked me, his voice uncertain.

"Yes," I answered unenthusiastically.

"Good," he said in a flat voice.

God, this was stupid.

"Okay, bye," I said to end this awkward conversation.

We both went our own ways (me upstairs, him outside). I still couldn't get him off my mind when I changed into my pj's and brushed my teeth. Not even reading a book helped me, and I threw it straight across the room in an annoyance fit.

Then I drifted off into a restless sleep, and not exactly dreamless sleep.

"Maia. Maaaaaaia."

It was the voice again. Yes, _again_. What was Rachel doing in my room _again_?

"This better not turn into a habit of yours," I grumbled.

"Good morning, sunshine," Rachel chirped in a teasing voice. "Or, it's really not morning anymore. It's more like afternoon, really. Did you know it's one o'clock?"

I jumped up into a sitting position.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Wow, that was effective," Rachel smiled.

"Idiot," I mumbled, falling back down.

"I wasn't kidding."

After a glance on the screen on my cell phone, I realized she was right. Sitting back up, I rubbed my forehead.

"How did that happen?" I asked to no one in particular. Rachel answered anyway.

"I was going to ask you that. I just came over to tell you that you're invited to the beach with us today."

"Which means –"

"That you'll be there. If you don't come willingly –"

"You'll drag me, I know, I know," I finished for her. I squinted against the light. "I'm guessing you're used to having things your way?" She beamed.

"You noticed! Yes, my motto is 'my way or no way'. Come one, get dressed, you're expected in one hour."

"I haven't even had breakfast yet," I protested.

"Well, better get your ass up from that bed, shouldn't you?" she grinned, hugging me quickly, and then she left. "I'll be here in… fifty minutes. And you better be ready, or I'll get Paul to come get you."

"Sure," I grunted.

And those fifty minutes went really fast. Rachel came rushing into the kitchen just as I was gulping down the rest of my cereal.

"I'm coming," I said, my voice muffled by the spoon. She smiled happily. Yeah, yeah, she had me wrapped around her little finger, but I was _going _to changed that.

"Hurry, everyone's there already. Even Jacob managed to come."

"Everyone keeps talking about this Jacob-guy, but I have no idea who he is," I said calmly as I washed my dishes in the sink.

"He's my brother."

I turned to her. "Really?" She nodded. "Why did I never hear that part before?"

She laughed. "He's also a good friend of Embry."

"Okay."

Always Embry. This wasn't helping me getting him off my mind.

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll just tell Melissa that I'm leaving. Or, is she coming, too?"

"Melissa never comes," Rachel answered me carefree. I frowned. That girl really didn't have a social life. "We've asked her a million times, but she always refuses."

"Did you try dragging her?" I asked in bitter humor.

"Yup, and she wasn't happy," Rachel answered, pretending to think back. Chuckling, I went into the hall and down the stairs to Melissa's room. The door was open this time, so I just walked right in. She was in her bed, reading a book.

"I'm going to the beach," I declared.

She didn't look up from her book. "Have fun."

I hesitated before I asked. Something about Melissa intimidated me a little. "Don't you want to come too?"

She snorted. "No."

"'Kay." I was about to leave when I realized something else. "Hey, where's your dad?"

"Dunno."

I frowned. "I haven't seen him since… in days," I mumbled. When had I last seen him? Thursday? Friday? Something like that.

"He's probably on one of his travels again," Melissa said with a shrug.

"Travels?"

"Yeah. I've stopped caring; he rarely tells me where he's going anyway. He'll probably be back in a few days."

"Okay."

This was one strange family. Yeah, right, I'm one to talk, but at least mum tells me where she's going if she'll be gone for days.

"Well, bye," I mumbled as I left.

We were apparently the last ones to arrive at the beach. Rachel dragged me right past everyone, including Embry, pushing me in front of a new guy. Or, not really new, since he looked exactly like all the others. What was it with these people? Was it just some sort of La Push genes?

"Maia, this is Jacob," Rachel introduced us, smiling from ear to ear. I smiled, waving my hand pathetically like I always seemed to do.

"Hi, Jacob," I smiled.

"So you're the girl Rachel hasn't been able to shut up about?" Jacob asked with a grin.

"Possibly," I said, looking at Rachel.

"Yup, that's her," Rachel confirmed.

Great, talking about me.

Hopefully a good thing.

When I looked at Jacob again, he was measuring me with his eyes. Then he shook his head.

"No, I don't get it," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Ray said you smelled funny, but I just don't –"

"Jake!" Rachel cut him off, hitting his arm. He started laughing carelessly, shaking his head. She turned to me. "Don't listen to him, he haven't got any friends."

"I do, I just like to have fun," he insisted, still laughing. I smiled faintly at him. Not that I was offended or anything.

"No, really, he has no social life."

Jacob was about to answer, but then he suddenly turned to his left. I automatically did too, to see what had caught his attention, and saw that it was a little girl. She was quite pretty.

Okay, who am I kidding, she was gorgeous, with impossibly pale skin and long curls that had a strange, but suiting, reddish brown color. She was walking gracefully towards us, and her walk made her seem much older than she probably was.

"Nessie," Jacob said happily, sounding like a little kid. _Nessie_ (weird name) beamed, hurrying over to us and jumping into Jacob's lap. It looked a bit off, with a tiny pale girl who couldn't be older than six or seven, next to a huge dark-skinned guy who had to be at least twenty (possibly younger, actually, if he was like the others). The contrasts would have been almost funny, if they hadn't been so casual about it.

"We might as well go now," Rachel said with a smile at the girl. "We won't be able to get contact with him now anyway."

She started leading me again (I swear, that woman was a control-freak), this time towards Embry. I had no idea how to act around him right now. Some part of me wanted to run as far as possible away from him, for I was still determined _not_ to fall for him (I had I sneaky feeling it was too late, though), but on the other hand there was this weird part of me that really wanted his company. Almost yearned for it, actually.

"See, I told you I'd get her here," Rachel said smugly to Embry. Seemed like she liked talking about people over their heads, too.

She didn't say anything else, she just pushed me down so that I was sitting in the sand like him, and then she walked off to somewhere. I didn't bother to see where to.

"Hello," I said, trying to smile naturally. Not to think about the embarrassing almost-kiss or the fact that I had lost tons of my dignity when he had been right about the whole danger-thing. I would never be able to walk in the dark without thinking about that.

"Hi," he replied, with a smile so wide that it must have hurt. It definitely wasn't forced. Or he was a really good actor.

Awkward silence.

Shy smile.

Casually staring at my feet. (me, not him)

Looked back up to see him staring at my face.

Smiled shyly again.

Yes, this was getting ridiculous.

I cleared my throat.

"So, I heard Jacob's a friend of yours?" I asked casually.

Embry nodded. "Yes, he was the one who's good with cars."

"The one you called?"

"Yeah. He was out of town. Um… spontaneous decision," Embry mumbled, his eyes flickering weirdly.

"'Kay."

Silence, again, but this time short-lived.

"Where are your friends today?" he asked me. The curiosity sounded false.

"Gabe and Cara?" He nodded. "Dunno. Rachel sort of abducted me this morning. I guess I didn't dare to disobey her."

"I wouldn't either," he laughed, and looked over at where Rachel was. Now in the arms of Paul, whom I had not seen before. Well, I was busy. And these guys seemed to come and go as they pleased, too quick and unnoticeable for me to keep up with.

"So. What are we doing here?" I asked, relaxing my shoulders a little. I felt that I was being too tensed, like I was expecting something to come bite me or something. I was always like that, paranoid and alert for no apparent reason.

"Everything. Nothing."

"Everything and nothing at the same time?"

"What's the difference?"

"Everything is _every_ thing, and nothing is _no_ thing," I explained slowly, and a grin spread on his face in amusement.

"What's the difference of getting mad for nothing and getting mad for everything, then?" he challenged.

"None. But that's different."

"How?"

I frowned. I concentrated, actually trying to figure it out.

"Because… it just is. If you're doing everything, then there's nothing you don't do. But if you do nothing, you don't do everything because you do nothing. If you're doing everything but nothing, it won't make sense, but if you're doing nothing… Wait, no, that's not right," I said, frowning.

Embry chuckled, and I shook it off.

"Whatever. But if you get mad for everything, for example you get mad for everything someone does or says or whatever, it's the same as getting mad for nothing, because whatever the other person says or does, it's just normal and therefore nothing."

"But if you get mad for everything, it doesn't have to be something they do. Maybe they don't do it?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It doesn't. What you said made no sense either."

"It did in my head," I said, smiling winningly.

"Well, your head is obviously a weird place."

I stared at him, determined to stare him down. He took the challenge with a confident smile, focusing his eyes on mine.

Ten seconds.

Yes, I was counting.

Still no problem.

Twenty seconds.

No problem. No problem…

Thirty seconds.

My eyes were getting dry.

One minute.

I wanted to blink very badly now.

One minute and thirty seconds.

Didn't his eyes sting?? A little?

One minute and fifty seconds.

I gave up.

With an evil glare at him, I looked away, out on the water.

"I won!" he declared happily. I huffed, faking the annoyance, and didn't look at him. He snickered. He was a poor winner, obviously. "I won," he repeated, nudging my arm.

"Whatever," I said.

"You say whatever a lot?"

"So? Does it bother you?"

"What if it does?"

"Then I'd say whatever." I turned to grin at him, and he stuck out his tongue at me.

"Be quiet, or I'll… throw you in the water or something," he warned, and I rolled my eyes.

"You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

"I'll bite you," I said, but I scooted just a little away from him, just in case.

"You say that a lot, too," he noted.

I was about to answer when he suddenly looked away from me, to something over my shoulder. Curiously, I followed his gaze. He was watching either Jacob or Seth. Probably Jacob, who was impressing Nessie (seriously, what kind of name is that?) by stuffing hot dog after hot dog into his impossibly big mouth. Seth was just standing there, frozen in his pace, staring wide eyed at something.

Because I was a nosy person, I followed Seth's gaze too.

A few hundred meters away there was a little group of three girls, probably eleven or twelve years old, settling down in the sand. Was he staring at them? They were the only people in that direction.

I looked at Seth again, and something about his expression caught my attention. His eyes… they were all filled with emotion, lightening his whole face up. Like he saw God or something. And it was like he couldn't take his eyes back, like all he wanted was to go over there.

Weird.

And yet, it was sort of recognizable.

I turned back to Embry to see if he knew what was going on with Seth, and then I suddenly realized why I'd recognized his expression.

Embry.

* * *

**This could have been two much shorter chapters, but I thought that since it might be some time till I have some time on a computer with internet again, I could just post it all at once. **

**And I made Seth imprint, if you didn't notice. On a twelve-year old!! *snicker*. **

**Julie: Yup, I'm trying to make her just that. And I will XD**

**alexTYLERbinns (or Alex. Can I say Alex, since everyone else does??): Yes, I_ know_ you reviewed chapter 9, but I forgot. And laziness is a common problem here, it seems. My point is: you should log in so that I can answer. I forget. **

**I'm tired, again, so there's probably three thousand spelling mistakes here, but _excuse me_ for being forced into playing football!! (nope, not PMS, too much cake. Cake does this to me.)**

**I got 22 reviews for chapter 10, which I think is amazing!! That's a new record for me. **

**I also tried to learn the difference between AM and PM. AM is from midnight to 12 in the day, and then it's PM from noon to midnight?**

**I'll never remember, anyway, but it would be handy to know. **


	12. Love

**I don't own Twilight. If I did, would I be wasting my time here??**

* * *

I looked at Sam and Emily. Paul and Rachel. Kim and Jared.

There was something in their eyes that I hadn't noticed before. Like, really deep and honest, and… admiring would be the best word. Then I looked at Embry.

"Sam," he said in a serious voice. He wasn't looking at me. I turned again, and now everyone was suddenly looking at Seth. He was standing at the same place, but now with a slight smile on his face. He started to take a step forward, and suddenly Sam was on his feet, grabbing the back of Seth's shirt to hold him back.

"What –" I started to ask Embry, but suddenly a hand locked around my wrist, yanking my arm hard to get me up.

"Let's go watch the cliffs," Rachel said eagerly, tugging my arm so hard that it almost hurt.

"Watch the cliffs?" I asked in confusion. I mean, I knew she was weird, but still.

"Or something else," she edited, just as cheerily.

"I don't want to," I said, forcing a slight smile. I really didn't get her. First she pushed me around to get me with Embry, and when I was finally there, she dragged me away again. What was up with that girl?

"Come one, Maia," Rachel said in a whiney voice.

"But I –"

"I'll take her," Embry suddenly said, getting up and pulling me with him in the process. And then I mean in one swift move, like I didn't weigh 110 pounds, more like 10. He started walking, still holding my hand and forcing me into a brisk jog. What was it with the rush?

"Ahem," I said to get his attention. He whirled his head around, meeting my eyes for a second, then glancing back at the others. "Why are we running?" I asked pointedly. Or, I was running. He was simply walking, but we can't all have mega long legs.

He smiled apologetically.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, slowing his pace. "I forgot you're so small," he added teasingly.

I narrowed my eyes playfully. "I'm not. I'm normal, you're the freak."

"What, in your opinion, is normal?"

"Five feet five inches is definitely normal."

He shook his head.

"That's not normal. That's extremely small, if you ask me."

"Then I won't ask you," I simply said.

"You just did."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did," he insisted.

"No, _you_ asked _me_, remember?"

He frowned, thinking.

"Oh. You're right," he grinned.

"Great. So why are we running?" I asked, pointing back at the others, and at the same time reminding myself of all the weird looks I'd seen. It was like they were all the same. At least the way they were watching Rachel and Emily and Kim and stuff. It was like… I couldn't describe it, it was just plain weird.

"Because I wanted some peace and quiet?" Embry guessed.

"No, you didn't."

"Didn't I?"

"Nope."

"Then what did I want?"

"That's what I'm asking," I said, trying to make my voice sound light. I was getting a little annoyed now.

"Maybe I just –"

"_You_ didn't want anything, Rachel did. Why did we have to go?" I asked curiously. Okay, I wasn't usually this fussy. I hope. But I was in that _mood_.

"Maybe Rachel knew what I wanted," he suggested stupidly.

I rolled my eyes.

"Like I've asked before, is it always this hard to get answers from you?" I asked.

"No, you're just special," he said with an enchanting smile. And my anger faded away. Darn. I even smiled. I had no control over myself. "Wanna go watch the tide pools?"

"Okay," I smiled automatically.

He quickened his pace again, like he had already forgotten that he actually had longer legs than me. I tried to keep up, seeing that he held my hand and would drag me with him anyway. Of course I could just free my hand, but I didn't want that either. It felt strangely calming and right that he held it.

I eventually stumbled over my own feet, and I would have fallen flat on my face if Embry hadn't reacted so fast. He hauled me back up long before I hit the ground, and looked at me with amusement in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm shorter than you, it's not like it's my fault," I told him, faking the offended tone.

"I haven't said anything," he insisted.

"Sure you haven't."

He winked at me, making my heart flutter.

He opened his mouth to say something, when my phone started ringing. I swear, that phone was possessed. Irritated, I dug it up from my pocket, checking the caller ID. It was dad. Groaning, I wondered if he would leave me alone if I ignored his call. The chances were good that he would keep ringing throughout the whole day, and I wasn't really up for that.

Things must have been so much easier before cell phones were invented.

I pressed the red button, hoping he wouldn't keep bugging me for long.

"Just my dad," I told Embry, who was looking at me curiously. He shrugged.

"Okay," he said, suddenly looking hesitant. He eyed me carefully for a couple of seconds, and just as I was about to ask him what he was thinking, he spoke. "Can I tell you something _really_ important?" he asked me seriously.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to sound serious too. Maybe I sounded too eager. I probably did.

He studied me for a few extra seconds, then he suddenly lifted me up, putting me on a boulder behind me. I gripped at the stone, trying to find something to hold onto.

"You better sit down, it's… sort of a lot to take in," he told me sincerely. _I am sitting…_

But I nodded, showing that I was ready for whatever it was he was going to tell me. Maybe he was about to tell me about the gang, and what they were really up to. Something important, that didn't mean it was drugs, right? _Right_?

He was hesitating again. Lingering by pushing me farther up, so that I sat steadier.

"You probably won't believe this. But I hope you do. I don't think you will, though, because I wouldn't. I didn't actually, in the start. It's sort of crazy…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Can you promise just to let me finish before you run off or something?" he asked me, meeting my eyes.

"Yes," I replied automatically.

He shook his head again, like he didn't really believe me, but he didn't ask me to say it again or in more words. "Okay. I'll just say it then. I'm a we –"

My phone rang.

Darn!

"I'm sorry," I apologized. He shrugged, pretending that it didn't matter, but I saw in his eyes that he was annoyed.

It was Gabe that called this time. Oh dear God. I had forgotten all about him by now. And I was supposed to fall for him again! What was I doing here! I should have gone into hiding from Rachel and everyone else.

I almost considered leaving now, but I couldn't do that either. I had promised not to run off till Embry was finished, and seriously? I didn't want to leave. Was that such a crime?

"Sorry, continue," I told Embry, ignoring the call with a heavy heart.

Embry smiled, like the apology was accepted. He cleared his throat, getting back on the right track. "I'll try again, then. I'm a were –"

And there went my phone again.

I frantically pulled it up. I just had time to see that it was dad again before Embry wrenched it out of my grasp. He pulled his arm back, and slung it forward with what looked like as much power as he managed.

I watched in awe as my phone flew through the air, landing far out of my sight. I only heard a muffled, cracking sound. I looked at Embry, just in time to see him look back at me too. His expression was bewildered.

He turned again, to where my phone had disappeared.

"Oh. I'm sorry about that," he apologized in a weird voice.

"You broke my phone," I said flatly, my voice not even a tiny bit accusing. He looked at me again, apologies all over his face.

"I'm sorry, I'll get you a new one," he promised frantically. "Or I'll fix the other one. It's not sure it was completely wracked, maybe I could –"

He cut off when I let out a short, confused laugh.

"Thanks," I said, smiling broadly.

"For what?"

"That. Now I have an excuse not to answer anymore," I grinned. He frowned, studying my expression.

"Are you serious?" he asked me.

"Yeah."

He shook his head. "I should have done that a long time ago, then. That phone has annoyed me from day one."

"You probably should. Would have spared me from a lot of tiresome conversations."

He nodded knowingly, smiling a little. Then he patted my head. "You're weird."

"You're weirder."

"Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"Yeah, and I think I won."

He snorted. "Really doubt that."

"Don't care."

He put on a sad grimace.

"You're not nice," he whined, sounding like a little kid.

"No one's really nice," I said wisely. "They're really just pretending."

He frowned. "You think?"

"Duh." He looked curious. I sighed. "I don't think people are really good, on the inside. It's just an act they put on so people will like them, so that they don't have to be alone. Even with your best friends. They annoy the crap out of you sometimes, but you pretend that they don't."

"Do you really think that?" Embry asked me.

"Yes. I think the reason that people actually bother to be nice is because they do actually know how it would hurt someone if they weren't, and how they would feel. Therefore they know that they _should_ be nice, but they're not being nice on instinct."

"I never thought of it that way," Embry said thoughtfully. He was quiet for a few seconds, thinking. Well, it was more than all the others did. Whenever I told anyone about my little philosophy, they just shook their head and changed the subject. "I'm not being nice to you because I feel that I should," he noted in the end. I felt he was emphasizing 'to you' a little too much.

I shrugged. "No rule without an exception," I mused with a smile. He wasn't satisfied, no surprise, and looked at me curiously, like he waited for me to say something. "What?"

"Are you being nice to me because you feel that you should?" he asked me straight-forward.

"So you think I'm being nice to you?"

"Lately, yes," he agreed.

_Lately_.

I almost huffed.

"Right."

"So, are you?"

Being nice to him because I felt that I should? I had actually never thought of that. I frowned as I considered it. I couldn't ever remember that I had forced myself to be nice to him. He was right, sort of. As opposed to when I was with Lena, when I was acting all the time. And with mum and dad. I had given up acting nice to them.

I had been acting with Gabe, though. I really hadn't enjoyed our 'date' at all. It was awkward and felt weird and wrong. But with Embry? I had never felt the need to.

"No," I admitted. He beamed. "I don't act. I'm an exception, too, it seems," I smiled lightly. But what did it mean? What was so different with Embry? I'd been asking myself that since I met him. He was _more_. What was more? Was it love?

"What are you thinking?" Embry asked me, interrupting my thought process. I wasn't sure I liked the way my thoughts were going, so I answered him in a light, relieved voice.

"That we never reached those tide pools," I lied swiftly.

We started walking again, this time much slower, and he wasn't holding my hand. I was disappointed, but at the same time happy. I didn't need any more distraction. I was too busy thinking about _love_, and I wasn't able to think about anything else.

I'd never liked love. I never believed in love. I had never experienced love, not the real type at least. Not the type I had seen in movies, like Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater. Mum and dad used to love each other, but that wasn't on level with the movies, or the songs, or the poems, or anything else, really.

Maybe the looks I'd seen, maybe that was love. I don't think I'd ever seen anything so honest and happy. It was almost like they didn't need anything else.

But could _I_ love? I wasn't like Rose. Or like Juliet Capulet. Or Catherine Earnshaw (definitely not like Catherine. I wasn't selfish like her. At least not _that_ selfish. And I wasn't any more evil than any other teenage girl.), or any other character that _loved_. I wasn't even sure that I could be like Rachel.

I had _liked_ people before, but like I already knew, Embry was different. _More_. But could it be _love_? I had a hard time believing that, for some reason. And, seriously, would Embry love _me_? I hadn't even figured out why he bothered hanging out with me in the first place.

"Are you okay? You look like you're in pain." Embry broke into my dazed moods, snapping me out of it. I looked at him. He looked like he was honestly concerned, so I smiled.

"Sure, I was just thinking," I shrugged.

"Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself," he joked. He was suddenly back in his teasing mood, smiling crookedly at me. I smiled back, light-headed.

We reached the tide pools moments later, and I sat down.

"They're pretty," I mumbled, smiling as I watched all the colors. Embry plumped down next to me.

"So are you," he said. I jumped slightly at his obvious flirting. When I looked at him, he was smiling down at me with a carefree expression. I automatically scooted closer to him, only to feel his arm sneak around my back, effortlessly pulling me closer. I smiled like the idiot I was.

"Is this okay?" he asked me in a low, gentle voice.

"Yes," I whispered back, snuggling closer. I tilted my head back to look into his eyes. That was when I saw it. Recognized it. The look.

Love?

Love.

Crap.

* * *

**I haven't answered any reviews this time, because of the crappy internet-thingy here, so I'll answer them here instead. That's much easier:**

**Grey Eyed Vampire: Hehe, yup, I'm starting to like Rachel. It's hard for me not just to jump straight to her story before finishing this one XD**

**lex003: Glad you like it!!**

**Eskimo Baby: I don't know why everyone's against Gabe. He never did anything.. Yup, I like awkwardness. **

**cheerleading847: I can't make all chapters long.. it's hard.. =P Yeah, everything nothing.. don't know what I was thinking about...**

**Lintered: I have no idea where it came from. It just did...**

**laurazuleta18: Yup, that's what makes it so fun!! (the Seth-thing). I love Rachel too!! It's not enough about her in the books. We never saw her in person (saw, read about, whatever...)**

**lovenotwarXo: Yeah, got it today, so I was like all over this chapter, finishing it and stuff. He he, thanks!! (the Rachel-thing...)**

**chocolateluver101: *smiles happily* **

**waterlilily: I wrote more!! *grins***

**MyNameIsJustine: I liked deviantart, there's so much fun things to watch XD What's my prize?? **

**Ginaaaa: (four a's. Confusing...) Norway, we just use 14.00 for 2 pm and stuff. **

**triciakris: I updated just now!! See??? =P**

**HazyCrazy: Yes, I'm half planning something for Melissa too, but it's not sure I'll put it in. Oh, I'll check into those spelling mistakes. Thanks for letting me know ;P **

**Phew, that was all. **

**Okay, my everything-nothing-thing confused you, I see. Well, it was sort of late when I wrote that. So, either I'm just very genious when I'm tired, or I was just that; tired. 'Cause I read it today, and I was like _what was I thinking??_ **

**And this chapter isn't as long as the last one, but I hope it's still good...**

**Oh, and I'm kind of really happy today, because I found out what school I got into (weird school system in Norway, I don't think I'll explain it all now) and I got into the one I wanted!! Yay!! So I'm celebrating with cheetos and milk. ... . . .-- . ... No, seriously, I am. **

**I know it was something else I wanted to say, but, of course, I forgot. So I'll just say something random instead. **

**I watched this film last night Australia, and it was a _really_ good film. My dad liked it even better than me, but I have a feeling it's part because he likes Nicole Kidman. Anyway, one of the guys there (I can't even remember his name...) said: 'Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be.' **

**Yeah, it was because his black friend couldn't come into a bar, and it was all sad because he thought the woman he loved ad just died and he was crying and I almost started crying too! And I'm not an easy cryer, so that's saying something! **

**Anyway, I recommend that film. **

**That was random, huh?? **


	13. Love 2

**Finally an update. After 20 days. Wow..**

**I do not own Twilight, and I know that is a good thing. Inside joke.**

* * *

"Maia? Are you okay?" Embry's voice was concerned. Like, really worried. I mean, it's not like I fainted or something. Did I? No, I was perfectly conscious, just a little shocked.

I realized I was tensing every single muscle in my body, and attempted to relax them again. It made it harder when Embry held me so close, as if he was scared I'd slip away from him if he let go. Annoying almost. Was that love?

"Yes," I hurried to say, my voice just cracking a little in the end. "I… uh… just remembered something," I made up, hating that I didn't sound truthful. I was normally a good liar. I cleared my throat. "It's Lena's birthday in… two weeks, and I still haven't gotten her that t-shirt."

I tried. I really tried to make it sound real, but my voice was thin and weak, shivering almost. God, help me lie, for once!

"What?" he asked me, confused.

"I promised to get her a t-shirt. A blue one that says La Push." I swallowed. "And I think I have to send it soon, so it'll get to her before her birthday." I was totally making that up as I went. I had no idea how long it would take for a t-shirt to go from Washington to California. And it wasn't even her birthday. Her birthday was in December, plenty of time to buy her a present.

"Really?" Embry asked doubtfully. Great, he looked right through me. A result of love, too?

"Yes," I replied innocently. I didn't meet his eyes, but I noticed he was trying to meet mine. I pretended to be very interested in one of the tide pools, staring intensely at it for several seconds.

"Okay," he said eventually, not convinced. "You're going to work tomorrow, right?"

"It's Monday, so yes," I answered, trying to hide how happy I was for the change of subject.

"Want some company?"

_Yes!_

On the other hand…

"Won't that be boring?" I asked him hesitantly.

"Why?"

"There's no customers. Or, there are some, but they're so few that you can't really count them in."

"You'll be there, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Then I won't be bored," he said with a smile.

Love.

It had to be.

Or… maybe he just looked at us as friends? Or maybe he just _liked_ me? Or maybe he wanted a free La Push-t-shirt? Because that was out of the question. He _had_ tried to kiss me, though. And that couldn't have been just because he fancied my lips, because they were almost non-existing. Or my body, due to my terrible lack of curves.

But there had to be _something…_ a bet? No.

This wasn't good for me. I would end up thinking that I was a national danger, unknown for me, and that he was part of a Swedish mafia that wanted me dead so that I couldn't spread any more of Lena's weird words and sayings in Washington.

And then I would go: or it could be love.

"Want to go back now?" Embry asked me.

"Not yet, I'm still tired after the walk," I said flatly, sinking together. He laughed.

"I'll carry you back if you want it," he offered.

"No, it's fine. Ten minutes."

"Your wish is my demand."

"I always thought it was command."

"Is it?"

"I think so. It sounds better."

"Not in my head."

"Your head is a weird place," I grinned, copying him. He grunted.

"That's mine!"

"I stole it."

"I noticed!"

"Don't care."

"You're mean!"

"Didn't we already have this discussion?" I pointed out with a smirk. I saw him frown, then shaking his head.

"You're messing with my head. I forget things. Usually I never forget things," he whined.

"You poor thing," I said in a baby voice, moving my hand to pat his head. He ducked away from it, and avoided it again when I tried to follow. At last he pushed my arm back down, pinning it to my side. "Not fair. You did it on me!" I complained

"'Cause you're so small," he grinned, and then he ruffled my hair. Since I was unable to move for the moment, I simply huffed and looked away from him.

"You're messing up my hair," I said calmly.

"It looks better like this," he told me happily, and I sneered.

"You better sleep with one eye open. I bite."

"I'm so scared," he joked. I kept my serious expression.

"You should be," I said quietly.

"Wanna go back now?"

I groaned. "Okay," I said reluctantly. He didn't let me go, like I expected, but stood up, bringing me with him. I tried to smile, but I was light-headed by his flirty behavior today.

"Are you sure you want to walk?" he asked me seriously.

"_Yes_," I answered, freeing myself from his arms.

"Okay, okay." He held his hands up in surrender.

The walk back took shorter time than it had taken to get to the tide pools. Much because halfway, when I managed to stumble over a tiny little root sticking up from the ground, Embry insisted that I should sit on his back. I talked him into letting me down before we reached the others, so that I could keep some of my dignity.

"You don't need dignity, you have me. Besides, it will only look cute, not ridiculous," he told me, using my word for it. I shook my head, kicking my legs to free them.

"You're not the one being carried."

"That's because I'm way too big for you to carry. If you could, I would definitely have made you. It's only fair," he said, as if that was obvious. I huffed, pushing his back for emphasize, and then he finally set me carefully to the ground.

"_Thank_ you," I told him with a smile, earning a stuck-out tongue from him.

We joined the others shortly after, and plumped down where we had sat before all the weird things had happened. Remembering, I started to look around after Seth. I noticed him with the three little girls. Maybe he knew them or something.

"Who wants to go for a swim?" Rachel suddenly asked loudly. It turned out most of them wanted that, so I made myself as small as possible. I watched as all the others, except me, Kim and Jared, started to half run down to the water, laughing and splashing at each other.

Embry, of course, noticed that I wasn't moving.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked me.

"Ah, no, I don't do water," I said with a slight smile. He cocked his head curiously, and I made a shrugging motion with my shoulder. "Go have fun," I urged, sitting better down on the towel. He hesitated, but smiled.

"Your wish is my demand."

"Command."

"Whatever," he grinned, and started walking.

"That's mine!"

"I stole it," he laughed. I laughed back, moving so that I had my back against a stone. I threw a glance at Kim and Jared, but they were having sort of a private moment together.

It was always amusing to look at them, because they were so different. In size, I mean. Kim was tiny. Much smaller than me, and Jared was as big as Embry. Kim always looked like a little kid or something next to him, but at the same time they fit together so well that it didn't even matter. They kept to themselves a lot anyways, so no one really cared.

Absently, I started picking up little stones in different sizes, building a pile of them. I tried building a tower, but it wouldn't stand. Annoyed, I put up tiny sticks to support it, but it still fell over. With a growl I pushed it all down, and it ended up just being a useless bunch of pebbles.

"Easily frustrated?" a voice suddenly asked me. I jumped, looking up to find Embry right in front of me. I frowned. I hadn't heard him approaching at all. Yet, I smiled.

"They won't stay up," I complained. He chuckled.

"What a scandal," he said.

I nodded. "I know," I said darkly. I watched him up and down. He was soaking from top to toe. "Did you have fun?" I asked, noticing that the rest of them were still down by the water. Embry beamed.

"Yeah." He sat down next to me. I suddenly felt his arm over my shoulder, and flinched away.

"Don't, you're wet," I objected. He didn't stop, putting his other arm around me too. "Embry!" I exclaimed, struggling to get free.

"What?" he asked innocently as he pulled me to his bare chest. (Yes, no shirt. Swoon…) It felt just a little uncomfortable, awkward, but not enough for me to get all too embarrassed. It felt strangely natural at the same time.

"Embry, you're all wet," I protested, but let out a laugh.

"So?" he asked me into my hair.

"Idiot," I muttered with a light-headed smile. He gave me one last tight hug, before he released me. My whole sweater was wet, and I groaned as I pulled it off. I hated wet clothes. I felt Embry's eyes on me as I put it aside, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious in my tank-top. I wrapped my own arms around me, feeling a bit stupid.

"Are you cold?" Embry asked me.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine." It was actually sunny today, which was completely rare here. Not that I was complaining.

We spent the whole day at the beach. Sometime in the middle of the day, someone got food. I had no idea where they got that much of it, but it was needed. I watched in awe as Embry stuffed down sandwich after sandwich, and he grinned every time he caught me staring.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked me after about six or seven sandwiches.

"I ate two, and that's a lot for a me," I told him.

He shook his head. "You could use some more. You're not exactly fat," he said as he measured me with his eyes.

"I'm _normal_," I said slowly, rolling my eyes. When he didn't stop staring at me accusingly, I huffed and slapped his arm. "Eat your sandwich," I ordered him. He didn't have to be asked twice, naturally.

"Are you sure you've had enough?" he asked me after about three more.

"_Yes_, I'm sure," I repeated.

"If you say so."

"I do. Are you sure you've had enough?"

"No, but there's nothing left, so I guess I'll stop now," he said with a glance at Jacob, who had taken the last one.

"There, there, I'm sure you'll survive," I soothed him, grinning. He turned, playfully glaring at me.

"If I don't, I'll blame you."

"Why?" I laughed.

"'Cause you didn't cook for me!" he exclaimed accusingly, throwing his arms in the air.

"I don't do cooking, get over it," I smiled.

"Why not?" he said in an almost whiny voice.

"Because I'd probably give people food poisoning. I don't think I really should be allowed near the kitchen, even. I would hurt myself and everyone around me." Embry didn't answer this, he had one of his weird moments. He just stared at me, half smiling, measuring me with his eyes. It was almost like he was trying to figure me out.

I shivered under his staring. He noticed, and without asking if I was cold this time, he simply reached out and dragged me to him. I didn't have to move at all; he turned me around so that I was facing the water, like him, and put me securely under his arm.

I froze at first. Then I made myself relax, because this was actually quite comfortable. I even let myself snuggle a little closer to him, enjoying the heat from his abnormally warm body. Seriously, it felt like he was really sick with fever, but I wouldn't complain.

This reminded me of the night of the bonfire. When he had tried to kiss me, but I had hesitated. I regretted it, of course. It was silly. I really hoped he would try again. I wouldn't be that stupid again.

"You're very hot," I blurted out without thinking. Embry's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he smiled crookedly.

"Oh?" he asked, smirking.

"Yes," I answered. Then I understood what I'd just said. "I mean no! I mean…" I blushed. Dear God. Blushed!? I don't do blushing! "I meant that… you are warm, like… not that you're hot, like _that_…" I babbled, blushing even more. "I… not that you're _not_ hot. I mean, you're not… God." I just said that he's not God. Great. "The weather's nice today," I mumbled as I looked away.

I felt the laughter rumble in his chest, coming out as a short chuckled. "Yes, yes it is," he said easily. Oh my God. I was so incredibly brain dead! What was up with me! Stop thinking about kissing!

I felt that Embry bent his head down next to mine, and the next thing I knew was that his lips were right by my ears. I blushed even more.

"I think you're hot too. And I don't mean warm."

I was sure my face had reached a crimson red color. It was ridiculous. I never blushed. I was known for my laid back nature, not this stupid overreacting teenage girlish blushing! Not meeting his eyes I answered an idiotic:

"Oh."

He chuckled again. I felt his arms tighten a little, and that didn't help my not-blush-philosophy. I concentrated hard to not think about kissing. It wasn't working. After a few minutes of an awkward silence and nothing else on my mind than a picture of his lips, I grew tired of it.

"What the heck," I mumbled. I squirmed in his arms, sitting up better and reaching my head up to his. He looked at me, his expression turning from curious to hopeful, and he bent down to meet me half-way.

And there our lips met.

It was a short, sweet kiss. I very lightly brushed my lips over his. But still, my heart skipped a beat, then proceeding by beating faster than a hummingbird's wings flapper, nearly jumping right out of my chest.

I pulled back first, but only a few centimeters. I looked up to see into his eyes, and found them closed. He was smiling slightly, almost smugly, obviously pleased with himself.

"Oh," I breathed. I had just kissed Embry. I. kissed. Him. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? I was the girl. He was supposed to man himself up enough… oh. He had.

God.

Stop thinking, stupid!

I was light-headed, not able to collect myself properly.

I watched as Embry slowly opened his eyes, searching for mine. He found them, and I saw that his eyes were sparkling. He looked happy, so I couldn't help but smile myself. I waited for him to say something, and he was just about to when we were disturbed.

"Are we interrupting something?" asked a furious voice. I jumped, looking up. Cara was standing over us with an angry expression, staring right at me. Her eyes burned a hole through me, and for some reason I felt extremely guilty.

"Sort of," Embry said quietly without looking at her. Cara glared at him, but when she got no reaction, she turned back to me.

"Can I talk to you, _Maia_?" She dragged out my name, like she was telling me I was in trouble. I mumbled 'yes' and hurriedly got up. Embry made a protesting sound.

"I'll be right back," I told him. That's when I noticed Gabe, only a few feet away from us.

Crap.

He looked lost. He wasn't looking directly at me, but at Cara who was right next to me. His face looked sad, dragged, but he was obviously trying not to show it.

Cara took my arm roughly, dragging me over to where Gabe was. When we reached him she grabbed his arm too, towing us both away from all the other people. She let us both go a few meters away.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked me furiously.

"What do you mean?" I asked stupidly, trying to look innocent. I avoided Gabe's eyes, and as far as I knew he was avoiding mine.

"He's… he does drugs!" Cara exclaimed foolishly.

"No, he doesn't. It's just a stupid rumor. You know that," I said cautiously.

"Still. He's in that gang. You are not allowed to kiss him."

"Says who?"

"Says I!" she yelled.

"Well, you're not the boss of me, so too bad," I snapped back. But still; she was right. What the hell was I doing? I had no idea what that gang of his was doing. And then kissed him. She was right. So right. Even though I knew that wasn't the only reason for her objection.

"Screw you," Cara mumbled angrily, spinning around furiously to leave. Gabe hesitated, and I hurried to stop him before he walked after her.

"Gabe?"

"Yes?" he asked in a sullen, but somewhat hopeful tone.

"I…" I wanted to apologize and explain to him what had happened or something. But how was I supposed to say it? I'm sorry that I don't like you anymore? Or explain all about how I had tried to fall for him again, or how I had only used Embry as a tool to get _him_ jealous at first, and then it had all gone wrong… "I'm sorry," I just said.

"It's okay," he replied with a sad smile. "It was just one date. It's not like we were engaged or something."

"You're right. But I still feel a bit shitty," I told him honestly. He deserved the truth, the poor boy.

"Yeah, you'll have to deal with that," he said teasingly. "Not my fault."

I smiled. "Right."

"Anyway. There's tons of fish in the water, right?"

"If _any_ of you say the word _friends_," Cara said warningly as she started tugging the back of Gabe's shirt. "I cannot be held responsible for my actions." She pointed a finger on her free hand at me. "And we are _so_ not friends anymore!" Strangely, that didn't really matter to me.

"Don't listen to her," Gabe said as he stumbled backwards. "She's just jealous." Cara snorted.

"Sure," I said with a weak smile. Gabe waved his hand in a way that was typical for me (consciously or unconsciously…?), then he turned and walked willingly with Cara to avoid anymore stumbling.

I wasn't really sure how I felt as I walked back to Embry. He was watching me cautiously, and I smiled with a shrug.

"You okay?" he asked me as I slid back down on the ground.

"Yeah, sure," I answered lightly. "I don't think I'll see them very much after this, though."

"Is that good or bad?" Embry asked me a bit uncertainly.

"Both." Good that I didn't have to put up with Cara's witless blabbering every day; I saw better how annoying her personality really was. I didn't understand how Gabe would bear to be with her. I would miss him, though, and that was bad. Even though I didn't like him like _that_ any longer, he was still a cool friend.

A silence followed between me and Embry, then he changed the subject again.

"So, when do I have to be up tomorrow?" he asked cheerfully.

"Do you really want to come with me to work? It's seriously boring," I told him. But, naturally, I secretly wanted him to come. I mean, that would give me a whole day to be with him, uninterrupted. I was nearly shaking with happiness only thinking about it.

Embry nodded eagerly. "_Yes_, and there's nothing you can do to stop it," he grinned. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, _I_ have to be there at nine, but you don't. You could come in a bit later, if you want."

"I'll try to be there at nine," he promised me.

I didn't have the guts to kiss him again the rest of the time at the beach. And either he didn't have the guts to kiss me again, or he didn't want to. What if he hadn't really liked it? Or found out that I wasn't good enough for him?

But he_ had_ smiled, and he _had_ been reluctant to let me go when Cara came and interrupted us. And he had promised to come tomorrow, so he couldn't dislike me _that_ much. Plus, I had a lot of proof that he loved me. Well, the proofs weren't watertight, but they were as good as.

"Ready to go?" he asked me when it was starting to get darker out. I nodded. Kim and Jared had left about half an hour ago, and both Quil and Jacob had been gone for hours. I hadn't seen Seth since he was with those girls, and he was gone now, so he had probably gone home too.

"Yeah, I guess," I smiled, getting up. He hurried to copy me.

"I'll drive you this time," he said.

"You don't have to, I'll just –"

"You're not walking, if that's what you think," he interrupted me with a teasing grin. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"I was going to say get a ride with Rachel," I said innocently, and he snorted.

"No you weren't," he disagreed, and I chuckled.

"Fine," I said, defeated. He laughed, taking my hand softly, but at the same time firmly.

"Come on," he smiled.

I walked eagerly next to him, trying to hide my stupid grin. I also tried to make my steps look natural, because I felt like I was skipping forward due to my satisfaction. It's just a hand, I tried to tell myself. It's not even a kiss. It's a hand.

Yet I felt strangely empty as he let it go when I stepped into the car, and I tried hard not to pout as he sat in too. I blinked hard to recover from this weird condition, and cleared my throat so that I could speak normally.

"So, when am I allowed to actually walk again?" I asked, making my voice light and teasing.

"When you're with someone who I consider qualified to protect you," he told me in a flat voice, but I could see the corners of his lips point a little upwards. "Which means, you won't be walking very much at all, actually," he added as he started driving.

"Why?"

"'Cause I only consider myself as qualified to protect you –" my heart did a double-take at this. " – and I like driving better than walking." I had to take a deep and – hopefully – soundless intake of breathe to recover from his overly cute words before I could answer.

"Well, that's not very fair, is it?"

"It's a tough life," he just said, making me giggle. I knew he didn't really mean what he said. I think what he really meant was that I shouldn't walk alone outside when it was dark, and I wouldn't do that anymore. After that encounter with the bear…

We kept the light conversation going all the way back to the house, where he actually followed me to the door. I was so happy that I was almost floating off my feet.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Or almost today, actually. It's getting quite late," Embry grinned. I smiled, hoping for another kiss. He didn't move, or say anything, and neither did I. A tad annoyed that I had to take the initiative this time too, I decided to take the case in my own hands. I mean, the worst thing he could do was rejecting me.

I was already starting to get on my tip toes and reach for him when that thought hit me. I instantly got uncertain, sinking back down. Embry frowned a little curiously, putting his hands on the upper part of my arms softly and pulling me carefully back up.

I smiled as his lips touched mine.

Our second kiss was longer than the first, and that suited me just fine. It was still soft, careful, like none of us wanted to go too far. That also suited me fine. Anything was fine with me.

We broke away at the same time, both of us smiling with open eyes this time.

"Right," Embry mumbled, his smile growing wider. Mine did at the same time. "Sweet dreams, Maia," he told me in a low and tender voice. He said my name so softly, almost like a caress, or maybe I was just imagining it. But still, I said his name the same way.

"You too, Embry," I whispered, because a whisper was all I managed to press out of my mouth right now. We stood still for another few seconds, then he broke the eye-contact, starting to leave.

"See you," he mumbled, his smile fading a little. I nodded, waving my hand. He turned around slowly, and I was about to let him leave. But then something bit me, and I just had to ask. "Embry?"

He spun around instantly, finding my eyes. "Yes?"

"Do you love me?"

I had no idea why I had the guts to ask that. If it had been any other time, any other place or any other person, I would never ask that question. But under these circumstances it seemed just rights, not even embarrassing. The dark night created an atmosphere that made me think nothing could go wrong.

Embry looked at me intently for several seconds, then said in a firm, but yet soft voice; "Yes."

He didn't say anything else. He didn't move at once either, just looked right into my eyes. I didn't say anything else either. I didn't need him to say it in more words or explain it to me. I didn't want him to.

Eventually he turned to leave, and I didn't stop him. I didn't even tell him goodbye one more time, and I did not say that I loved him back.

* * *

**I'm sorry it took me forever to update, but I've been gone. Three weeks of vacation, one in Denmark on Dana cup. Anyone heard of it? My brother plays, not me. **

**I'm also sorry if anyone was disappointed that he didn't tell her about the werewolves and stuff in this chapter, but they did kiss. And he said he loved her. And that's something, right?**

**I haven't been able to answer reviews either, since I didn't have much internet, so I'll do it here today too. Because right now that's easier than answering all of them one by one. **

**MyNameIsJustine: I'm... a little shorter than that... but I'm fine with that. Better to be short than too tall. It must feel awkward to only see the tops of people's heads. And I like hugs, virtual hugs is okay too XD**

**Scribe4eva: Thank you SOOOOO much, you just made finishing this so much easier! I will definitely have a lot of fun with her dad's husband! And thanks for saying it's different, I try to make it so. But I still feel it's like any other imprint-story, since there's so many of them..**

**Grey Eyed Vampire: I have big plans for the telling-part.. I have big plans whatsoever, and a lot will happen at once. It will all start in the next chapter. There will be enough action, I think.. **

**laurazuleta18: Yeah, I'm sorry he didn't tell her, it's just I have other plans for that. Hope you still like it, though, and thanks for the review!**

**Ginaaaa: I'll remember that. Four a's. Four a's. Four a's. I think I've got it now. And yes, he was, and he won't tell her just yet. I have a plan XD**

**lovenotwarXo: Yes, I agree with you about the movie. Crying: sad. Kangaroo: funny, but sad. Why do everyone have this sick sense of humor? Me included.. Sorry he didn't tell her, and thanks for the lovely review!**

**Eskimo Baby: I like gabe. He's like a normal guy, and he realizes that he lost his chance. I didn't update soon, though, but I cannot be blamed. No internet. Grrr. **

**chocolateluver101: Thanks, and I didn't update soon, I'm sorry. I'll get better, promise XD**

**HazyCrazy: Oh, cool, I always wanted to go to Australia! When I was younger me and my grandfather used to plan on going there, but now he has Alzheimer's.. I'll still go there sometime, though. And they kissed, just like you wanted XD**

**Beauty Eclipsed: I don't think there's any good way to find out XD**

**Danielle: First: get an account, it's easier for me to answer you if you ever review again, which I hope you will XD Second: Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I'm usually much faster than this. **

**Lintered: No, my phone is never that annoying either. Maia's is, apparantly. Oh, and you shouldn't think too much, because what I heard is that thinking is dangerous. I think it was because this Christian guy though his way out of religion. Or something like that. Thank you very much for the review, I really apprciate it! **

**DannieFreak: No, they rarely dub movies into Norwegian, unless it's a movie for children. We had to use Norwegian subtitles, though, because my grandfather knows two words in English: Yes and no. Sucks to be sick, hope you're better by now. That's what's so great about fanfiction, there's always something to read, so you don't have to be bored anymore XD**

**Seth'sOneAndOnly: Glad you think so! XD Thanks for the review, made me happy =P**

**cklovewinter: I could never read fanfictions at school.. mostly because we rarely use computers.. Yup, and now she realized it even more XD I'm fine now that I'm home with wireless internet that I can use as much as I want. How about you??**

**clumsyyhouseaddict: Aw, thank you so much! That made me so incredibly happy! **

**Okay, so I won't answer the reviews here in next chapter unless the reviewers are anonymous.**

**Now that that's done, I just wanted to say one more thing. When he tells her, I will leave out all the explaining-thing. Because I think it will be hard to make it original, and we all know everything about werewolves and imprinting and stuff already, so there's really no point in writing it down. I just wanted to say it. If anyone have very strong objections to this, please tell me why and stuff and I'll consider changing my mind. **

**So there.. I'll start writing next chapter right now, because it sucked to be away from writing for so long. I haven't had the time to write anything either.. Who said holidays were a good thing?**


	14. Work

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

Horton was back by next morning. I almost didn't notice him as I slumped into the kitchen, half asleep. I had had a very sleepless night, lying for hours and only thinking about one person: Embry. I couldn't get him off my mind, and I still hadn't figured out why. Only that he was _more_.

More than what?

The only sensible thing I could come up with was more than normal guys.

"Tired?" Horton asked me as I collapsed in the chair. I looked at him.

"How did you guess?" I mumbled. He smiled.

"Your shirt is on the wrong way," he answered, pointing at me. I frowned, looking down and found saw the little tag reading the name of the store I'd bought it in on the front.

"Oh," I mumbled, starting to drag my arms inside the sweater.

"Want some coffee?"

"Sure," I replied as I started to turn the shirt around with my arms curled up inside it, and then I stuck my arms through the right holes. Pleased with myself, I straightened in the chair and reached for the newspaper.

"I need the car today, so I'll drive you to the shop," Horton informed me as he put a cup of coffee in front of me.

"'Kay," I said, putting down the newspaper and taking a sip of the coffee. I grimaced. I hated coffee, but I needed the caffeine.

After a breakfast containing one apple and two cups of coffee, we were out the door. None of us said much during the drive, though I really wanted to ask him where he had been the last few days. Maybe meeting one of his girlfriends from that dating-site? When we arrived we both noticed that the front window of the store was completely covered with… something gross. Eggs?

Horton sighed, and I turned to see him shaking his head. "Bastards," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Probably just some stupid teenagers again. Do you mind taking care of that?" I stared at him. Me. Was I supposed to clean all that mess up? "There's a hose in the back," he added. Figuring I couldn't really be rude, I just nodded and got out. "Do you need me to pick you up too?"

"No, it's fine," I assured him. I'd either walk or get a ride with Embry. If he stayed all day, of course, but that wasn't sure he did I wasn't even sure he'd show up. What if I had offended him yesterday? I should just have said 'I love you' back.

I found the hose behind the store, and started dragging it to the front. It wasn't really heavy, but I was still inhumanly tired. I was yawning constantly as I started aiming water at the dirty window, watching as the icky eggs slowly run down the walls.

A voice behind me suddenly surprised me.

"Hi," it said, and made me jump. I whirled around, still clutching the hose. Embry was standing innocently a few feet behind me, his expression turning from happy to shocked. Horrified I realized that I was aiming the nozzle right at him, and he was already soaking.

"Wops," I said, quickly turning it off. "I'm sorry," I said, but I couldn't hide my smile. Embry was looking down at his wet clothes, frowning a little. Then he looked at me again with a mischievous grin that made me want to back away.

"Not as sorry as you will be," he assured me and took a step closer to me. With a gasp I turned on the water again, aiming it only centimeters from his feet.

"I have a hose, and I'm not afraid to use it," I threatened. He rolled his eyes and took two long strides towards me. He didn't care about the water hitting him this time, and I screamed and threw away the hose to escape.

I only got about two steps away before Embry caught the back of my shirt, yanking me back. I slammed into his wet-shirt covered chest, and he sneaked his arm around my waist to keep me in place.

"Don't you dare!" I shrieked, pushing at his arm.

"This is going to be cold," he told me matter-of-factly, and I felt him put the nozzle down under the neck of my shirt. The cold water ran down my back, making me scream even more. It was mixed with laughter, though, so Embry didn't take it seriously.

He turned off the water eventually, and I kept trying to push his arm away. I squirmed to get a better look at myself, looking at my clothes, surveying the damage. Or the wetness. My shirt was soaking, and I was glad I had chosen a blue one today. If it had been white it would be see-through by now, which would have been quite a catastrophe, seeing as the water made it cling to my body pretty uncomfortably.

"You are _so_ dead," I hissed at Embry, a smile in my voice. I banged my fist at his arm, but of course it didn't budge. He chuckled, putting the nozzle back into my shirt. The cold water splashed down my back again before I had time to object, and I shrieked.

"Say that again?" he asked as he turned it back off. He held the hose so that I could see it, and I eyed it with narrowed eyes.

"I said I give up?" I admitted in a defeated tone. Embry let out an approving sound and threw the hose away as he put me back to the ground.

"That's what I like to hear. And now we have to get you some dry clothes."

Ten minutes later I was wearing a red La Push-t-shirt, size extra large because they didn't have pants or shorts in this stupid shop. I had tied my sweater around my waist to keep it in place, but it still looked ridiculous. With a grimace at myself in the mirror I left the bathroom, walking in behind the counter to see Embry occupied with playing with the ball made of paper.

He saw me, and his eyes measured me quickly. He smiled crookedly. "Looks good on you," he complimented, and I grimaced again.

"Right. What about you?" I didn't think even size extra large was big enough for him. Plus, as I already had noticed, we didn't have pants.

"Don't worry, I dry up pretty quick," he assured me.

"I'm sure you do," I replied sourly with a smile. Though, he had a pretty warm body temperature, maybe he actually did dry up faster than me. He looked at the paper ball again, holding it up in front of me.

"Seriously, how do they make these?" he asked me. I laughed.

"I have no idea. Origami?"

Embry frowned at the ball. "Perhaps," he agreed, putting it back on its shelf. "You look cold," he noted.

"Whose fault is that?" I asked with a smirk.

He grimaced. "My fault," he admitted in a childish regretting voice. I nodded.

"Yes, yes it is," I agreed.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be, I… customers!" I squealed like a little kid, skipping to behind the counter again. Embry frowned, then shook his head. I stood on my tip-toes to see who it was this time, and found that it was once again old ladies. Weird that all the customers here were oldies. Or, then again, maybe it wasn't so weird.

I hushed Embry every time he tried to say anything, watching the old women checking out all the different tea sets and decorations, studying their expression warily and waiting patiently for them to decide. They ended up with the same kind of tea set as the other two ladies had bought. No surprise there.

"Can I talk now?" Embry asked when they left.

"Yes, you can," I allowed.

"_Thank_ you," he said in an overdramatized tone. He slumped over to the counter, where I was leaning on my elbows, and copied me. Our faces were only inches apart, and my breathing became rapid.

I suddenly noticed that there wasn't a single drop of water left on his t-shirt, and stared at him accusingly.

"Why are you all dry?" I asked indignantly. He looked down and grinned.

"Told you that I dry up quickly," he said smugly.

"That's… only… um." I turned around to look at the time, but Embry beat me.

"Seventeen minutes," he finished for me, and I glared playfully at him.

"Not fair. I have to wear an oversized t-shirt all day, and you –"

"But that's a good thing, since you look so cute in an oversized t-shirt," he interrupted me with an innocent smile. I blushed again, much to my embarrassment. I seriously never usually blushed. "I doubt I would look very cute in an oversized t-shirt," he mused.

The mental picture I got at his words was so funny that I burst out laughing embarrassingly loud. It would have looked ridiculous, and Embry seemed to agree with me. He smiled as well, but narrowed his eyes with a fake offended expression.

"Not nice, it took me years to become this confident. You just ruined my self-esteem for life," he accused me. I bit my lip to stop.

"Sorry, it's just that I don't think we could ever find a big enough t-shirt," I giggled, and he furrowed his brows.

"Watch your mouth," he snapped.

I pressed my lips together, but still smiled. When he kept glaring I just had to let out a giggle. He banged his fist on the counter.

"Okay, that's it," he exclaimed, and started to stalk around the counter. With a wince I jumped up, running to the opposite side of it than him.

"Stay," I ordered. He jerked to his right, and I did too. "Sit!" I tried, and he reached his arm over the counter and grasping after my arm. I laughed as I jumped back, and Embry darted after me around the desk. "Heel!" I shrieked hysterically as his arms encircled me.

"I'm not a dog," he said offended.

"Really? You could have fooled me," I giggled, and he growled playfully. Since he was already holding me it was easy for me to plant a kiss on his lips. "Is it better now?"

"Almost," he replied, and I kissed him again. "Again," he said when I pulled back.

"Will you ever get enough?" I asked him with a smile.

"No," he answered. He kissed me this time, and it lasted much longer than the last two. I only had to pull back when I heard the door open.

"People! Down!" I ordered, pushing for emphasize. Embry made an annoyed sound and tried meeting my lips again, but I turned away. "Later. Down," I repeated, and he reluctantly let me go.

This time it was some polish tourists that obviously was lost, and I tried my best to explain to them how to get to wherever they were going. Embry was no help at all, standing in a corner, holding a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't burst out laughing. I sent him a couple of glares, and he simply grinned back.

"Did they seriously think that I could speak polish?" I asked when they had finally left.

"Obviously they did," Embry smiled.

"I _said_ I didn't, and I told them I had no idea where that stupid place was, and their map was forty years old. I don't even live here!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air. Embry looked amused. "What?" I asked.

"You're funny when you're overreacting," he simply said with an innocent expression. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled.

The hours at work went much faster today than it had done before. Of course it was because of Embry, I couldn't deny that. Embry, who _loved_ me. I envied him, actually. It seemed so easy for him to love me, but I wasn't even sure about how I felt. He didn't seem to mind, luckily, and he hadn't even asked me. I thought it was because he didn't want to pressure me, but I was afraid to let myself believe that. He was already too much of a dream guy.

I didn't think I really deserved him, so I was trying to show him that even though I wasn't able to say 'I love you' just yet, I still cared about him. I smiled widely and responded whole-heartedly to everything he said or did, and to be honest it didn't take much of an effort. I really liked him.

Trying to make in the lame lie I had fed him with yesterday true, I went to get a blue t-shirt for Lena in size small. I paid for it and the one I was already wearing, and refused to let Embry pay mine.

"But it was my fault," he tried convincing me.

"Doesn't matter," I cut him off.

I also bought the paper ball, much to Embry's amusement.

"Lena would like it as much as you. It would keep her occupied for days," I smiled. I put it in a box so it wouldn't be ruined, then I packed it all together, adding a little note that I wrote down quickly. I could post it after work.

"I noticed there's no car out there," Embry suddenly said, like he just remembered it. I looked up to see him looking disapprovingly down at me.

"Horton drove me. He needed the car," I said defensively before I tried to memorize Lena's address.

"And how were you going to get home?"

"You could drive me?" I replied innocently without looking up. I wrote 'Lena Reynolds' with big, clear letters on the package. I frowned. My handwriting wasn't very good, but it would have to do. As I started to write down the address, Embry cleared his throat. I looked back up. "Don't you believe me?" I asked him.

"Not really, no," he answered.

"Well, can I get a ride with you?" I asked with a crooked smile. Like I even would have to ask, he would probably have dragged into his car me if I even mentioned walking.

"Yes," he replied slowly, measuring my expression like he thought I was up to something. I rolled my eyes again, concentrating on Lena's package again.

There were no more customers the rest of the day, but it didn't matter. It wasn't boring with Embry there, and he didn't seem to be bored either. He drove me home, like he had promised, and even stopped at the post office so that I could post Lena's package. When we were at the house he seemed reluctant to let me go.

"I would have come in, but I have a thing," he said sadly. I smiled.

"That's okay. I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?" I asked hopefully. He seemed to like the fact that I wanted him to come, because he beamed and nodded eagerly.

"Of course," he said.

"Okay. See you then," I smiled, and opened the door. Embry cleared his throat, like before, and I looked at him. He looked at me like he was waiting for something. I stared blankly. "What?" I asked stupidly.

"Haven't you forgotten something?" he hinted. I shrugged. He sighed overdramatically, reaching out for me. I understood and smiled as I leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips. Apparently I pulled back to soon, because Embry made an annoyed sound as I skipped down on the pavement.

"We'll save some for tomorrow, okay?" I said, surprising myself a little with how flirty I suddenly sounded. Embry lightened up again, nodding in agreement the same way as earlier. I chuckled and closed the door after me, feeling his eyes on me as I walked inside.

* * *

**I suddenly realized that I dragged out the day at the beach into like three chapters. I figured it was time to make it a new day..**

**So this chapter is pretty meaningless and a bit short, so I don't like it. But next chapter will have more action. XD**

**And I wanted to say thank you to my faithful reviewers, you are few, but you are all very appreciated =P**

**My record for reviews is still on chapter 10 with 23. Don't know why that one chapter got all the attention..**

**There's like over 50 people that alerted this story, and about 10-15 reviews per chapter. It would take you guys about thirty seconds to leave me a note. I read this other fic today, it was called 'An average werewolf' and it seriously rocked, and the author, Auphora66, said that she would send a PM to all those who had alerted the story without reviewing. That sounded sort of clever. Maybe I'll start doing that.. Alerters, be warned..**

**Oh, and I put out a link to a picture of the paper ball! I figured it deserved some attention, it has such an important role in the story. **

**I'll go now and finish next chapter. It's one of my favorite parts, so I wrote it a long time ago.. he he.. I get obsessed.. like I'm obsessed with this song right now, 'Leave out all the rest' by Linkin Park. Seriously, I've been listening to nothing else all day. **

**Mum thinks I've got the swine flu. Just the name of it depresses me. I mean, swine? Ugh. It's just a normal cold. **


	15. Change

**I. Don't. Own. Twilight. Because everyone thinks that I do. But seriously, I don't. **

* * *

"I feel so sorry for him _right_ there," I exclaimed, watching Leonardo Dicaprio alias Jack Dawson hopelessly trying to pry the stupid handcuffs of the white pipe-thingy. The water was rising way to fast for my liking, and this part of the movie always frustrated me.

"Me too," Melissa sighed, propping her face full of popcorn. "I mean, it's just inhuman to leave him like that. Even if he did steal that thing, which he didn't, it's not fair. I mean, I can't imagine a worse way to die than drowning –"

"I know," I cut her off.

I wasn't really sure how I had ended up watching Titanic with Melissa. We obviously had more in common than I had first thought. First, we both loved that film. Second, we both had a crush on the younger Leonardo Dicaprio. And third, we both apparently liked talking during films. Usually people only found that irritating, but it worked out for us.

I had, for some reason, come down here to see how she was doing, with the whole teenage-pregnancy thing, and then I noticed that in the middle of her messy desk the DVD-cover of Titanic was, and I asked if we could watch it. Or, I asked if _I_ could watch it, and then it turned out that she loved that film just as much as I did.

So then she had pushed everything on her bed to the floor, putting the DVD into a DVD-player that I hadn't noticed before, and we were now sitting under her covers with milk and popcorn, sighing over how beautiful Leonardo looked in this film. And, of course, hissing every time Kate Winslet showed her too pretty face.

Now she was trying to learn how to use an ax. She was supposed to hit the same place on the cupboard twice, but missed with several centimeters.

"I would never have let her do that," Melissa said, wincing as Rose swung the ax over her shoulder and barely missed Jack's wrists.

"It helped, though," I muttered.

"Yeah, but he dies anyway. She's so selfish," she insisted. "In the end, she could have moved over so he could lie on that thingy once in a while, too."

"I know, but he's _way _too gentlemannyish to ask her to do that. He's just like 'grow old and get grandchildren –"

"Gentlemannyish?"

"Lena made it up," I said with a shrug.

She frowned. "You have a weird friend."

"Look who's talking," I muttered. Melissa rolled her eyes, not offended.

We both started crying when Rose noticed the people on the boats who were trying to save them, and when she realized that Jack was dead. The tears kept coming until the film was finished, then we were crying like the idiots we obviously were, sitting on opposite sides of the bed from each other and clutching one side each of the covers.

"This is ridiculous," Melissa said, straightening up. I laughed.

"You're right. I'm leaving," I said, grabbing my half full glass of milk and getting up.

"Probably smart, I don't want you here when dad and Paul gets here. They might get the wrong idea. Maybe they'd think we're friends or something ridiculous like that."

"Yeah, something ridiculous like friends," I copied her, rolling my eyes.

"You know what I meant," she muttered, and I laughed again.

Just when I was about to grab the door handle, the door burst open and almost hit my face. I jumped back, surprised, but something caught the front of my shirt, yanking me forward again. I lost my hold on the glass, and it landed on the floor with a _thump_.

I looked into a pair of dark, angry eyes. They were scrutinizing me furiously, and I couldn't look away, frozen by the shock. My heart skipped a beat and I caught my breath. The dark eyes looked like they were ready to kill someone, and the grip he had on my shirt seemed too hard to break.

"Melissa," a deep voice sneered, and I was pushed roughly aside.

"Paul!" growled another voice. I was getting ready to hit the floor painfully, but an arm shot out in front of me and I was yanked into someone's body. I pushed hopelessly against something that felt like a very muscular chest, trying to see what was happening.

I felt myself being moved, up the stairs.

I was released when we were up, and I automatically jumped back to put some space between us. I looked up into the face of Embry, and I frowned, even though I was still shaky.

"What was that?" I asked him.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, ignoring my question.

"Yeah, sure, why is Paul so –" I stopped short, for I could hear his voice up here.

"Pregnant?" he bellowed. "Of all the stupid things –"

"It's not your business, _Paul_," Melissa yelled back, sounding just as furious as her brother. Oh God. Please, no. No, no, no!

"You told him?" I asked Embry in an accusing voice. His expression turned abruptly, his big eyes getting all sad. No, sad was an understatement, he looked like he was ready to explode by the desperation I saw in his eyes.

"Not purposely," he defended.

"What do you mean, not purposely?" I spat, narrowing my eyes furiously at him. His eyes widened with pain, and he looked so lost that I would have felt sorry for him if it wasn't for the circumstances. Then it suddenly changed again, to surprise.

"Wha – are you crying?" he asked.

"What? No," I said sharply, but remembered that I had just been crying my eyes out with Melissa over the dying Jack Dawson. Quickly I moved my hand to my cheek, wiping away the remains of the tears. Suddenly Embry captured my wrist in his hand, yanking me forward by it.

"Embry –" I started furiously, but he cut me off.

"What's this?" he asked me sharply, holding my arm up. I looked at him in confusion, then I saw what he was talking about. The scars Scramble had given me lightened up surprisingly clear on my arm. Oh, that was _one_ thing to notice in this time of crisis!

"Nothing!" I snapped, tugging my hand hard. "Why'd you tell him?"

"Who did this?" he asked, yanking me even closer by my wrist. The closeness became uncomfortable, so I tried to step back. He wouldn't let me.

"Dammit, Embry! Let me go!" I said harshly.

"What's going on with you, Maia?" he asked me, his voice a tiny bit softer now.

"Oh dear God…" I muttered.

"Who did this?"

"_No one_ did it, you idiot!"

He paused a few seconds, then he got angrier. Actually, he started shaking, like before, in the car. Maybe he actually had a condition. "_You_ did this?" he roared right in my face.

"No!" I cried back, shocked. Why would he think _that_ of me? "My cat! Jeesh, don't make such a big deal about it!"

Embry relaxed noticeably. He loosened his grip on my wrist, and I tugged it free, hiding my hands in my sleeves.

"You're acting completely ridiculous!" I hissed at him. "What's _wrong_ with you?"

He didn't answer. He was squinting slightly, and his eyes went to my hands that I had balled up by my sides. He cleared his throat shakily, obviously trying to erase the last of his anger.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked seriously.

"Not physically, you didn't," I spat. "Why'd you tell Paul? You _promised_."His expression turned again so he looked like a puppy who had just been scolded. I felt that I wanted to stroke his head and comfort him instead of making him even more upset. Angrily I shook it off.

"I know. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to," he said sincerely.

He looked so honest that I almost believed him. I was furious with myself for being so soft. Usually I was the dominant one in an argument, if I knew I was in my right to me, but Embry looked so damn cute when he did that with his eyes. I held my head high and my voice harsh. "I don't care what you _meant _to weren't supposed to tell _anyone_! How's that so hard to do?" I hissed furiously. He frowned.

"It's harder than you think," he muttered. Before I had time to ask what he meant, he added: "But it's no big deal. Paul will help her."

"Help her." I let out a short, hysterical laugh. "He's almost killing her," I said slowly, pointing to the stairs, where we still could hear them fighting. Right now he was lecturing her about how stupid she'd been going to that party. The last thing she needed was someone to tell her how stupid she was, she knew it was a mistake, and Paul obviously didn't understand that.

"He's not," Embry said securely.

"Whatever," I said. "You still had no right to go tell him!"

"But I told you, I didn't mean to," he repeated.

"How can you not mean to say something? Either you tell him or you don't. It's as easy as that," I raged.

"Not always," he disagreed. I stared dumbly at him, waiting for some sort of explanation. He opened his mouth to continue, but then he frowned and looked away.

"Explain, then," I spat.

"It's… complicated," he said uncertainly. When I didn't say anything he continued. "I tried to tell you on the beach, when your phone started ringing all the time," he started in a weak voice. I raised my eyebrows.

"You tried to tell me that you can't keep a secret?" I asked skeptically.

"No, I tried to tell you that –" He stopped short. "I can't tell you like this. You won't believe me," he said, almost to himself. I crossed my arms.

"If you're not going to tell me, then you can get out of here," I said icily.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked in a sad voice. I was tempted to ask him if he actually thought I would even consider wanting him to stay, but tried keeping my voice calm and somewhat rational.

"Yes," I replied slowly.

"But I can explain to you, if you really want to know," he added quickly.

"Okay, come on," I said, waiting to hear his poor lie. There was really nothing he could say to make this not his fault. A grown up person knew how to keep their mouth shut about certain things. Embry lightened up for a second, then got serious again as he started speaking.

"Okay, you're not going to believe me at all, but just listen before you judge me, okay?" he asked. I nodded. This ought to be good. "It's… I was trying to tell you at the beach, but then your phone decided to go against me and stuff, so I never got to it. I'll try again now." He was dragging it out on purpose. I nodded impatiently. "Okay. Here it goes. I'm a –"

Melissa's door flew open and she stamped up the stairs. Embry stopped the second I looked away, and I heard an annoyed sound from him, but I didn't turn back. Melissa stalked past me without even looking at me.

"Melissa," I pleaded, turning after her. She didn't look at me, just kept walking out the door and out in the rain. I whirled to face Embry again. "Later," I said quickly before hurrying after Melissa. I only heard a disappointed groan from Embry.

Melissa was walking with determined steps out of the driveway and to the sidewalk, and I ran after. The rain made me soaking wet in only seconds, but I ignored it.

"Melissa, wait," I called. She didn't care. "Come on, talk to me," I pleaded and caught up with her.

"About what?" she sneered.

"I promise I didn't tell Paul," I hurried to say. "Really. I wouldn't do that, you know it."

"Then who did you tell?"

"Embry, but only because I had to because the car broke down and –"

"You can't tell Embry something like that, stupid," she hissed. "Everything he knows, Paul knows."

"Why?"

"It's… just the way it is, okay?" she said angrily.

"But he promised not to tell," I said weakly.

"Well, so did you," she snapped.

"But I –" I was losing my skills here. I hated being the one saying sorry. I was usually the other part in a discussion.

"Whatever, Maia," Melissa cut me off, fastening her pace. "It doesn't matter. Go home."

"Melissa –"

"Go home, I don't want to talk to you," she snapped at me, and I stopped. Irritated, I started walking back to the house. If she was going to be like that, I didn't really want to talk to her either.

Embry was waiting for me inside, watching me with a mixture of curiosity and concern. He opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it.

"Thanks a lot, she won't even talk to me," I said angrily.

"Why?"

"Why do you think? Because you couldn't hold your big mouth shut, that's why!"

"I'm sorry," he said sullenly. I knew it was sort of unfair to take it all on him. It wasn't _just_ his fault, but mostly it was. And now that I had gotten started, I couldn't stop it. The annoyance of being the weak link in the argument with Melissa was healed when I got to make someone sad. "But I can still explain," he added before I could say anything else.

"I don't want to hear it," I said flatly.

"Come on!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "I was _so_ close!" I wasn't sure if he was talking to me anymore, so I spun around to face the stairs. I didn't get far before he stopped me. "Can't you _please_ just let me explain?" he begged as he put his large and on my arm.

"No," I said stubbornly.

"_Please_," he repeated.

"I'm not interested. Let go," I ordered, and he hesitantly obeyed. I walked up to my room without giving him another glance. Then I lay down on my bed, trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened in one night.

Melissa wasn't my friend. She didn't even want to talk to me.

Embry wasn't one I could trust after all.

Whatever had been between us was obviously not there anymore.

That way, I didn't really have any friends here.

I drifted off to sleep feeling miserable.

* * *

**I'm _very_ proud of everyone who reviewed for the first time on last chapter, I love you!! I got 14 reviews over the night, and usually I get like five and then more during the day. Now I have 16, and I don't have the patience to wait for more, so I'll just post this chapter now. But I expect you all to review next chapter, too! **

**Okay, now, don't hate me. I mean, there will be a happy ending, but.. she won't get to say 'I love you' very soon. I'm sorry. And he won't tell her just yet either. I'm sorry about that too. **

**I didn't really like this chapter, because I wrote part of it before and part of it today, so I feel it got a little messy. And it's short, like last chapter. Grr.. But, something happened at least..**

**ObsessedandRepulsed: First: Cool name!! XD Thanks for the review, and I'm _very_ proud. And even though it took more than thirty seconds, you're still alive, right??**

**May: Well, you don't have to wait any longer XD Thanks for reviewing.**

**I expect both of you to keep reviewing!! I'm not even going to tell you to log in or get a profile, only because I appreciated the reviews so much. **

**As for the rest of you, who have yet to review.. shame on you. SHAME ON YOU.**


	16. Thrice

**Sorry it took me some extra days. I've been lazy. **

**I OWN Twilight. Yes, I do, you heard right. I own EVERYTHING. **

**Sue me.**

* * *

"Maaaia. Maia. Maia!"

It was that voice again. That horrible voice that was haunting my dreams.

"Maia!" it called again, and I covered my ears. I felt hands on my shoulders, and someone was shaking me. That someone was without a doubt Rachel. Groggily and with a complaining groan I opened my eyes. Rachel was beaming down at me.

"That's thrice," I mumbled tiredly.

Rachel's eyebrows frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Lena made it up. She thought it was unfair that there only was once and twice and no thrice," I explained while rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Rachel frowned deeper.

"What about four?"

"Frice."

"Fries?" she asked skeptically. I just nodded. "So does it end there?"

"Yes, because fice and sice sounded stupid."

Rachel laughed. "What would seven and eight be?" she asked, sounding actually interested.

"Svice, I guess. Or sevice. And… Eice? Eights?" I shook my head in confusion. "I don't know. They don't exist. It's once, twice, thrice and fries."

"Makes sense," Rachel agreed.

"Great. Go away, I'm sleeping."

"Not anymore you're not. I have important things to talk about," Rachel said seriously. I attempted to drag the covers over my face, but she yanked them out of my hands. "Ready to listen?" she asked me.

"If you'll go make me a coffee, yes."

"I won't, but I take that as a yes," Rachel grinned. She locked the ends of my covers in her hands, making it impossible for me to tug them out. I sighed, defeated.

"Fine," I grumbled. "But I'm not sitting up. I'm gonna go right back to sleep after this."

"As long as I'm finished talking," Rachel smiled.

"Shoot," I said tiredly.

"You had a fight with Embry," she started.

"I don't want to hear this," I groaned.

"Maia –"

"It's too early! Come back tonight or something. What is it, like five o'clock?"

"It's ten."

"Oh. Feels like five – wait…" I sat up instantly, looking frantically around myself in the room. I found no clock, but Rachel understood what I was looking for and handed me her cell phone.

"Believe me now?" she smirked.

"I have work!" I exclaimed, jumping up. I was about to run out of my room, but then I remembered that I was only wearing pajamas. I growled, picking something random up from the floor.

"Calm down, you're not going to work today," Rachel said. I stopped stressing, staring at her.

"What?" I breathed.

"I told Horton that you were under a lot of emotional stress and needed the sleep," she said smugly. I stood still for another few seconds, taking in her words. Then I slumped back down on the bed.

"And then you wake me up," I said flatly, staring accusingly at her.

"It was getting late, and I was getting bored," she told me, as if that explained it all. I groaned again.

"And you decided to come torture me instead of go to, let's say, Paul?"

"I would, but he's busy. And so is everyone else."

"So I'm the last resort?" I asked, feigning hurt. Rachel laughed, patting my head.

"No, of course not. Torturing you is on the top of my to do-list," she said sincerely. I rolled my eyes.

"Great. Now I can die happily," I said sarcastically.

"Not until you make up with Embry," Rachel told me seriously, looking at me with stern eyes.

"I don't want to," I said in a complaining voice.

"You have to."

"Says who?"

"Says me," Rachel replied confidently. I looked at her with honest eyes.

"Ray," I started, using the name I remembered her brother had used on Sunday. "I'm saying this because I care about you. I do not trust your judgment. I do not trust your meanings. I do not –" Rachel interrupted me by slapping my arm hard, and I grinned.

"Stupid," she mumbled. "Stop trying to change the subject."

"I'm not, I –"

"I really think you should talk to Embry," she cut me off again.

"Why is that so very important to you?"

"It's important to everyone. We all love him. You've seen how all the guys act, they're like a family. It hurts them too to see him like that," Rachel told me honestly. I was already starting to feel guilty, and I hated it. "Why are you so stubborn, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that, I would have given him a chance. You just walked away from it."

"Because I didn't want to talk to him?" I hinted. Rachel shook her head.

"When did escaping the problems ever solve anything?"

"I didn't say it solved the problem. The problem is that he can't keep a secret. I told him how incredibly important this was, and he promised not to tell. But he did."

"You feel betrayed?" she guessed. I started to feel like I was being analyzed.

"What are you, a shrink?" I asked roughly. Rachel smiled.

"No, but people say that I would have made a good one. What do you think?"

"If they're looking for annoying – ow!" She hit me again, this time harder.

"What did you eat, you're so mean today," she complained. "I'm trying to help here. Go talk to Embry, you won't regret it."

"I don't want to," I whined.

"You have to, or –"

"Or you'll drag me?" I guessed. Rachel nodded smugly. "I'll lock myself in the bathroom."

"I can tell Paul to tear down the door."

"I'll hide."

"I'm the local champion in hide and seek."

"Really?"

"No, but I'm really good at it," she grinned.

"Well, I'll escape to Canada," I decided.

"Just so you won't have to talk to Embry?"

"Yes."

"You're really not very well in that little head of yours," she noted. "I still think you should talk to Embry." I didn't respond. I stared stubbornly into her eyes. "Come on, Maia! Really, he's a wreck. He can't do anything. He really didn't mean to tell, if you talk to him he'll explain to you," Rachel told me.

"Fine, fine, I'll think about it," I sighed. Rachel stared at my face, frowning as if trying to figure me out. She shook her head.

"You're just saying that to get me out of your room."

"Is it working?" Rachel stared at me. I stared back, hoping to be the winner of this argument. But, sadly, I gave in when my eyes started burning and I had to blink. I opened them to see Rachel give me a smug smirk.

"I win. You have to talk to Embry. And you have to do it today, or else I'll wake you up at six tomorrow." I started complaining, but she cut me off. "You know I'm right, Maia. Please just do everyone a favor and talk to him."

I groaned, but I couldn't deny that she was right. Dad was always like that too. Always confrontations, find out what the problem really was, and solve it. Rachel kept her eye-contact with me, and I gave up.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk to him," I sighed. "But I'm not saying I'll do it right away."

Rachel looked satisfied. "You'll do it today, though, right?" she checked.

"Fine," I grumbled. "Tonight. I'll let him sweat a little longer."

Instead of protesting like I had expected her to, Rachel clapped my back hard. "I like your attitude, girl," she complimented, getting up. "By the way, your dad and your mum and a crazy girl called for you on Horton's phone. You might want to call them back."

I groaned. What a perfect day this was turning in to. These were one of those days that I should just stay in bed. But I was too restless to stay there after Rachel left, so I got up. I had a _really_ long shower, lingering, and then I used half an hour to dry my hair. I used an eternity to finish my breakfast.

And then I had practically nothing left to do. I had no phone, and it seemed like Horton was out. Well, that wasn't a surprise. So with reluctant steps I walked towards the stairs to Melissa's room. I was not sure how I'd be greeted.

I found her in front of the tv, watching something in a muted sound. Then I realized she was only watching the pictures on the screen move, and she had her iPod-ear plugs stuck into her ears.

"Melissa?" I said loud enough for her to hear. She didn't react, but I knew it was because she purposely ignored me. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know if I could borrow your phone for a few minutes," I asked gently. It annoyed me to have to ask like that.

Melissa still ignored me. I walked closer to her, and her hand jerked up in a position that said 'stop'.

"I –"

"Get out, I still don't want to talk to you," she said flatly without looking at me.

"Melissa –" I started in an annoyed voice, but was cut off again.

"Go talk to Embry, and then maybe I want to talk to you again, okay?" she said curtly, still staring at the screen. She too. Why would she possibly want me to talk to him? She obviously knew something I didn't, and that annoyed the crap out of me.

"Fine," I responded in the same tone as hers. I spun around swiftly and walked back up. I still had no phone, so I would have to find a new solution to that one. The only thing I came up with was the payphone I'd seen by the café I had been at with Gabe and Cara. I got my money from my room, took my rain jacket and stepped into my hiking boots. That way I could go for a little hike after I had talked with my parents and Lena.

I walked for about half an hour to find the payphone. I called Lena first.

"Hello?" she said in a distracted voice.

"It's me," I said.

"Mazie? I was beginning to wonder if you were dead," she told me seriously. She wasn't as hyper as usual, and I wondered why. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"

"Lost my phone," I explained. Or, Embry broke it, but whatever. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing special… can you hold on for one second?"

"Sure," I said nonchalantly.

I heard muffled voices as Lena probably held her hand over the phone so I couldn't hear. I got curious, and as soon as I heard her voice again I burst.

"Who saw that?" I asked quickly before she had time to change the subject.

"Um…" She giggled. "Don't scream, okay?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Tony," she whispered.

"Lena," I sighed in dejection. "I told you, I don't like you being with that guy. He's –"

"He's really nice. I promise, he's really nice when you get to know him. Tony, not right now –" She giggled again, and I grimaced.

"Lena," I whined.

"Maia," she whined back. Then she changed the subject. Tony had obviously gone elsewhere, because now she was back to the normal Lena again. "So, how's loverboy?"

"Which one," I asked grumpily.

"How many are there?"

"Actually, right now there's none," I said honeslty.

"Wow, what happened?"

"I told one of them I wasn't interested, sort of, and I had a fight with the other one yesterday."

"Which is which?"

"The one I fought with is the one you can't remember the name of," I told her.

"Oh, right," I said, remembering. "What was the fight about?"

"Complicated. He promised something and then he broke the promise," I said, shortening the story down thoroughly.

"Well, are you going to forgive him?" Lena asked, already starting to sound impatient to get back to Tony.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

Why – WHY – was it so damn important for _everyone_ that I spoke to Embry! I answered her through grit teeth:

"Not yet."

"Well, you should. He won't do it again now that he knows how angry you got. Boys rarely have more than two or three brain cells, but they know _that_ much. No, I was not talking about you, Tony. You probably have four or five –" Her talking was cut into a giggle and a laughing 'stop it'.

"I'm gonna go. Have fun with Tony. Be safe," I said and hung up without waiting for an answer. I rolled my eyes as I put on a few more coins and dialed mum's number. I gave her the same story about that I had lost my phone, and then it was dad's turn. He, of course, couldn't shut up about how much he wanted me to come visit.

"Dad, I already told you, I have a job. Okay? Even if I wanted to I can't simply jump on a plane and come see you," I explained tiredly. I didn't have the energy to be mad at anyone right now.

"Horton's your uncle. He'll let you off for a week so you can see your old dad," dad insisted.

"Well, I don't want to," I said in a determined voice.

"If you changed your mind –"

"Bye, dad," I cut him off, hanging up before he could say anything else.

As I walked to the place where the path started I started counting days back to the last time I hiked. Had it really just been that one time, on Thursday? Wow. Now that I knew I started feeling a little too lazy again. I'd done nothing active for days.

It was easy to forget when I was here, with so many other things going on. School would feel like a relaxing spa compared to this.

I had no idea what time it was when I figured I had to turn and get back. Maybe if it got too late I wouldn't have to speak with Embry today. I was postponing it purposely. Sure, I had promised Rachel to talk to him. She seemed to believe what he told me would make me forgive him again, so I guess I should give him a chance. But still, I thought he deserved to feel like shit just a little longer. I would have waited a week.

But, then again, maybe not. Melissa, too, told me to talk with Embry, and then she would maybe talk to me again. As weird as it sounded, even for me, I wanted her as my friend and not as my enemy.

With that thought I quickened my pace to get back to the civilization. I was back at the house eight hours after I left. I was pretty exhausted, so I went to have another shower. I lingered even longer this time, because I knew I had promised Rachel to talk to Embry tonight.

I checked the time when I got out of the bathroom. It was ten. Was that maybe a little bit too late to talk to Embry? I mean, he probably wasn't in bed yet, but still… I suddenly realized I had no idea where Embry lived. Why had that never come up?

Well, then I couldn't go see him. Where would I go?

I thought I had that settled as I headed for my room, but by the time I reached my door I had changed my mind again. I groaned and whirled back around, running downstairs and out in the rain again. I didn't have time to get wet, because luckily Horton's car was in the driveway. I didn't take the time to think about where he was, if the car was here and he wasn't.

Unconsciously I drove towards Sam and Emily's house. They would know where he lived. If not, I had no chance finding him. I didn't even know where Paul and Rachel lived, and that was pretty tragic. I mean, he was my cousin.

I was knocking furiously on Sam and Emily's door minutes later. Emily opened, a startled look on her face. I didn't give her time to talk, just spit my words out, determined to get this over with as fast as possible.

"Do you know where Embry is?" I asked hurriedly. Understanding dawned on her face (one side of her face, anyway), and ushered me in.

"You just missed him," she told me as she closed the door behind me. She stepped back, looking at me. I was soaking only from standing outside her door. That ought to say something about the amount of rain here.

"Where is he?" I asked a little impatiently.

"I don't think he'll be able to see you right now," she answered hesitantly, frowning as in deep thought.

"Not later?"

"No, not tonight."

"Where is he?" I asked, wanting to be the judge of that.

"Out of town," Emily replied distantly, making me wonder if it was something she was hiding for me. Well, I felt like everyone was hiding something from me. Emily, Melissa, Embry, even mum with her boyfriend. But that was different.

"When is he back?" I said, giving up on getting to him today.

"I'm not sure." The same, hesitant tone in her voice. God, I hated that.

"If you see him, can you tell him to come visit me in the shop? I'll be working tomorrow."

Emily nodded, smiling reassuringly. She seemed happy to have come to a solution. "I'll definitely do that."

"Okay, bye," I said curtly, throwing in a polite smile as I walked quickly back out the door. I wasn't interested in small-talk right now, all I wanted was back home and to get into my bed. My warm, comfortable, safe bed.

But when I got there, I found that is wasn't very comfortable at all.

Another sleepless night.

Great.

* * *

**You know what I just realized? I always make my characters bitter. Every character I've ever made up is moody or whatever. **

**Tragic. **

**You know what I also just learned? **

**I'm always annoyed that the sides are so wide here. I mean, it makes the stories look shorter and it takes forever to read one line. And then I saw the 3/4 and 1/2-things on top of the page, and now I'm in heaven! **

**Enough random stuff (for now), I'm sorry it took me a few extra days, but I've had too little to do to write. Yes, you heard me right, too little to do. It's only fun to write when I'm supposed to be doing something else. **

**Just so you know, a few things I never mentioned:**

**- Melissa and Horton know about the whole werewolf-thing**

**- Maia's mum is Horton's sister, and I have planned something for why they're not talking. It involves her father. Someone wanna guess?**

**- Maia: Ma-ya. I'm no good explaining how to pronounce, so that's all I came up with. If you don't like the way her name sounds, make up your own! **

**ObsessedandRepulsed: Good thing you're alive, I once thought my friend was dead. I was so scared, she was lying on the bed and she wasn't moving and it didn't look like she was breathing. I was _so_ scared. **

**Only one anonymous review this time. Getting better, I think it was four or five once.. but not all of those reviewed again. It's better to review without an account that not reviewing at all! I'm still considering PM-ing everyone who alerts without reviewing. It annoys me a little when I get an e-mail that says 'xxxxx has alerted your story: Unwritten' etc. etc. But all is forgiven if you leave me a note!**


	17. Almost truth

**I own everything that SM doesn't own. How's that??**

* * *

Thursday had to be the day I had a lot of customers. I was a nervous wreck every time the bell above the door rang, and then my heart fell into my stomach like a heavy rock when I realized that it wasn't Embry. Why was I nervous? I had nothing to fear. He was going to explain _something_, and apparently that would make me forgive him.

On the bright side I sold a whole lot of things. Lots of t-shirts, mostly blue ones I noticed, and many tea sets. The small wolf figures were also popular; my guess was that it was because of the Quileute legends. I hadn't paid very much attention to them, but I remembered the part about wolves.

Rachel stopped by in the middle of the day. She didn't stay long, she only brought her lunch so she could accompany me.

"I think Embry said he was coming over later," she mentioned.

"Yeah, I ho… think so." I was going to say 'hope', but I didn't want Rachel to have anything to hold against me later. She didn't seem to notice my slip, or she didn't care. "Where's Paul?" I asked to avoid it anyway, for I knew she usually had lunch with him.

"With Melissa," Rachel said. I frowned curiously. "Didn't she tell you? She wanted to get the abortion over with. I guess I understand her. But still, I would have thought about it a little more than she did." I nodded slowly. I didn't agree with her; a sixteen year old could not take care of a child.

"What does Paul think?" I asked, but realized that it was a stupid question. Rachel thought so too, she rolled her eyes before she answered.

"He insists that she aborts it, of course. But he's a man; he doesn't understand. He doesn't think like women do," she said with a knowing smile. I obviously didn't think like a woman either. Oh, well. "It's the whole big brother-instinct that kicked in. He was a mess," Rachel said lightly, smiling at the memory.

"I guess," I smiled back.

Rachel glanced up at the clock, jumping to her feet.

"I've got to get going now. My lunch break is almost over, and it's a fifteen minute drive back," she said with a grimace. "I'll be late. Great."

"Late back to the old people's home," I teased, and she stuck her tongue out.

"At least there's _people_ there. You're the one stuck here alone," she shot back. I looked around, and admitted with a sad voice:

"You're right."

Rachel laughed.

"It's a nice job. I mean, the old people, as you so nicely put it, are really sweet."

"Sure."

"Besides, I don't even have to be there every day. I mean, _you_ work more than me, and this is just a summer job," she grinned. I rolled my eyes.

"You better get going, then," I told her, pretending to be very sad. Well, it wasn't all pretence. I was going to be alone again. And wait for Embry. Alone. Ugh.

Rachel stretched out and patted my head. "You'll live," she assured me. I narrowed my eyes, but she had already whirled around, grabbing her purse in the process, and was walking swiftly away from me between the isles.

"See you," I called after her just as the door closed. Then I collapsed in my own arms on the counter. It was still four hours left. Four hours of loneliness. Misery. Illegally confused problem filled teenage mind, uninterrupted by any sort of outside assistance.

Another one and a half hour went by. Two more customers. Both alone. One of them borrowed the bathroom. The other one, a middle-aged woman, looked at me once and then turned back around. I suspected her of being one of Horton's dates, looking for him.

At four thirty the door opened again. I had almost lost all hope of seeing Embry today, so my heart did a double take when he was the one coming towards me. I felt my lips starting to smile, and quickly stopped them.

"Hi," I said, my voice a little flatter than I had intended.

"Hey," Embry replied. He was smiling, but not as widely as usual. There was something wary in his eyes, like he wasn't really sure of me. Well, that's not so strange, I had practically thrown him out of the house refusing to listen to him.

The greetings were followed by an awkward silence; I was an expert on those. This weren't one of the classical ones, where no one knew anything to say. This time we both had plenty on our minds, we just weren't sure where to start.

I cleared my throat to burst through the bubble.

But when I was about to say something I chickened out. What was I supposed to say? I didn't want to say I was sorry, because I wasn't. But at the same time I think I sort of was, though I couldn't see why. He was the one to break the promise, I was right in being angry with him.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked me straight-forward. I was glad the ice was broken, but it was a trick-question. He could use it against me.

If I said yes, what would he do then? Tell me he didn't want to say anything before I forgave him? And if I said no, would he use that as a way of sneaking away? Maybe 'if you're not angry, there's no point in fighting' and brush it all away?

Complicated.

Very complicated.

"I don't know," I answered hesitantly.

"Okay." His expression faltered a little, but he looked back at me with determined eyes. "Do you want to hear what happened now?"

I shrugged.

"I guess."

Embry smiled wider than before, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He seemed uncertain about what he was going to tell me. Was it really that bad?

"Okay, good," he said lightly, coming closer. He was on my side of the counter in no time, giving me a little push towards the chair. "It's probably better if you sit," he mumbled, and I did as he said. He went down on one knee in front of me, and for a wild second I thought he was going to propose.

He put one hand on each side of me. It was a casual gesture, but it made me feel a little trapped. I didn't make a number of it. I was anxious to hear now.

"I don't think you're going to believe me. I mean, I _know_ you won't, so I'll probably have to show you afterwards, so… just remember, that I won't hurt you, okay?" I nodded, confused. This sounded really bad.

"Sure," I replied. This had to be _really_ important. He had been like this before, too, not just before Melissa interrupter us, but in the forest that day, too.

He was now staring intently into my eyes. I found it impossible to look away. Suddenly he got up with a little growl.

"I can't do this," he mumbled furiously as he walked away from me with fast steps. I looked after him, confused as I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Embry suddenly stopped, hurrying back to me. He kneeled in front of me again, but this time he took my hands in his.

I didn't protest, I was in too much of a disoriented daze.

I stared, waiting for him to gain enough courage to just spit it out. He finally did, just as the door opened.

"Maia, I'm –"

The rest got lost when I heard a loud, shrieking sob. I automatically turned away from Embry, breaking the trance. I felt his hands tighten around mine, but I didn't care.

"Melissa?" I called. I heard fast footsteps approaching.

Melissa looked terrible. Her face was red and her eyes were drawn from crying. Her cheeks were black with make up and the rest of her was soaking from the rain. I instantly got up, slipping my hands out of Embry's, and hurrying over to her. She collapsed over me.

I stumbled under her weight again, but put my arms around her.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I heard a disbelieving voice from behind me. I ignored it. Embry could wait, Melissa was more important at the moment.

"Melissa, what's wrong?" I asked her, holding on to her tight. She sobbed into my chest and clung to me for her life. It hurt, and it was heavy, but I didn't complain. She finally pressed out some words in a thick voice:

"I… I couldn't do it," she cried. "It's," Sob. "It's my baby!" She drew out 'baby' to a long, desperate moan, then she collapsed in sobs again. I felt myself stiffen. She was keeping it?

"It's okay, Mel, calm down," I soothed instinctively. Somewhere I heard a door open and close, but I didn't care to see if it was someone leaving or someone coming in. I staggered backwards until I found the chair behind the counter, and I pushed Melissa down on it. She crumpled together, hiding her face in her hands.

I hurried to the bathroom, getting her some paper. She grabbed it with a shaking hand when I reached it to her.

Twenty minutes later she was ready to talk.

"I couldn't do it, Maia," she told me. "It's… more complicated than I thought. It's my baby. It's… here," she finished weakly, resting her hand on her stomach. I looked to it. I hadn't noticed it before, but there was a tiny bump on it.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know anything about pregnancies.

"Um… are you… going to, um, keep it, then?" I asked. I knew it was possible to give away the baby after its birth, but that might be even worse than not having it at all.

"Of course, I couldn't give it up. Not now," she said, trailing of. She looked away, biting her lip. "I think I want it. I want a kid. I always did."

"Yeah, me too," I said automatically. It was a lie. I never really wanted a kid very badly.

"I never planned having it like this, though," she added, forcing a shaky laugh. "I mean, I planned to be married. And to have a job. And… be finished with school." She gulped. I could imagine school would be hard for her now. She would have to bear staring from students and questions from teachers at the same time as she had to concentrate on her education.

"Yeah, plans change, right?" I said weakly.

"Definitely," she agreed, still not looking at me. Then she laughed bitterly again. "Paul is furious with me. He… no, I'm not gonna tell you what he called me, it's too mean. He has a nasty temperament." I didn't doubt that… "But… I guess, he's part of why I changed my mind. I don't want to be bossed around by him. God, why am I telling you this?" she cut off, snapping her head towards me again. I shrugged a little.

"Do you want to go home?" I asked her. She was wet and miserable; a shower might help her. "We could buy some snacks and stuff. Watch a movie?"

Melissa hesitated, but nodded her head at last.

So that's what we did. I had the car today, so we stopped on the way and I bought everything necessary, like ice cream and lots of chocolate. I made room for us in her bed when she had a shower, and found all her DVD covers in her closet.

I was sitting on the floor going through them when she got out of the bathroom. I spoke in a light, happy voice: "So, what do you want to see? Princess Diaries? Pirates of the Caribbean? Juno –" I looked at her, startled by my own voice. "… or not, I hate that movie. Um… Titanic?"

And Titanic it was.

I don't know how much it distracted her, but she didn't cry. Or, well, she did at the end, but it wasn't because of the pregnancy-thing. After that I put on 'Liar, liar' with Jim Carrey, and that had us both laughing out head off in only a few minutes.

Not until after that I suddenly realized that Embry never got to tell me whatever was so incredibly important.

* * *

I finally got to sleep in. Rachel didn't wake me, and no one else did. I was unnaturally happy when I skipped down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. No one was there, no surprise again, so I made my own breakfast.

After that I went down to Melissa's room, but she wasn't there. I didn't waste time trying to figure out where she was: honestly, I didn't care. I had never really understood where she spent her days, and it wasn't my business.

I decided to go find Embry. I was really curious now, I needed to know what he tried to tell me all the time. I grabbed my rain jacket, planning on walking, and stepped into my tired sneakers. When I got out the door, I stopped short on the driveway.

I stared wide eyed at the car that was in front of me.

And the couple that was just stepping out of it.

"Dad?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

* * *

**This chapter is so short that I'm ashamed. But I would still love some reviews..? **

**Okay, I love reviews, and I love answering them. That's half of the fun! But it's hard when you leave me nothing to work with. **

**So. I have a plan. Please cooperate. **

**Tell me something random. Or something about yourself. Anything, what you look like, family, friends, whatever, just to fill it out, so I'll have something to read. But don't just say 'I'm sixteen years old and I have a white toothbrush'. What would I answer to that? Me too, only mine is grey, too?**

**Well, whatever, it's just hard to give a fun answer to 'good job, update soon', because it never gets better than 'thanks for the review' etc. etc. **

**Extra credit for Lintered for helping me with the pronounciation of 'Maia'. It's pronounced like 'My-ah'. I'm gonna ask you the next time someone asks me to write a pronouciation.**

**So, please don't hate me because Embry didn't tell her, and please review this lamely short chapter. Yeah. **

**Anonymous reviews:**

**asdfawethearewgwaegew: First I was just staring at your name, trying to find some sort of logic in it. I found 'wet' and 'hear' and 'ew'. Doesn't make sense. Did you just press the buttons randomly? Mhm, lazziness is a very common problem here at this site, I've noticed. But if no one's lazy, no one can't not be lazy. It's logical logic. If no one's one thing, no one's the other thing, either, because there's only the one thing. Well, it made sense in my mind. I like conflict, for some reason. I like when people fight, because I think it's honest. **

**I'm gonna go write the next chapter right now. If you review, then it will be up tomorrow! Promise!! **


	18. Trust

**

* * *

**

So... I don't own anything SM owns.

* * *

"Dad?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

The tall man in a brown leather jacket, jeans and Italian shoes turned around, his eyes focusing on me. His wrinkly mouth grew into a smile.

"Maddy," he said in a warm, loving voice. The kind of voice you see in movies, when someone really love someone else finally comes home or whatever. It made me sick.

"What are you doing here?" I asked rudely.

"Visiting you, of course," dad replied as if that was a normal thing. I blinked. Was I having a nightmare? It had to be. Dad couldn't be here. I didn't want him here. Things were complicated enough as they were.

"Visiting. From New York," I spat out skeptically.

"No, we were nearby," dad defended. "Stephen's parents live in Seattle." I looked at Stephen. He was wearing way too tight pants that made his legs look tiny. He had a pink t-shirt with a small scarf around his neck and a purple cardigan. I didn't like men in cardigans. They were for girls.

Stephen was measuring me with an unhappy grimace. I ignored his obvious arrogant behavior; I didn't want to listen to his blabber about my out-of-fashioned wardrobe.

"I wanted to see you, Maddy," dad said in his sickening sweet voice.

"It's _Madeline_," I told him slowly. "Dad, I don't want to see you, get over it."

"Maddy… Madeline, you know I love you," he said, his eyes shimmering hopefully.

"Well, I don't love you," I spat back, making the little flame of hope in his eyes fade quickly. Dad looked honestly hurt, but I didn't care. "And what do you want? Do you still think I want to spend the summer with you?"

"The offer still stands, honey," dad told me weakly. I opened my mouth to answer, but I was interrupted by the nasal voice of Stephen.

"What have you _done_ to your hair, sweetie?" he asked me in a disgusted, feminine voice. He called everyone sweetie. It was annoying. I glared at him. I hadn't done _anything_ to my hair, but Stephen was staring so accusingly at me that I started to feel self-conscious. It was hard not to move my hand to my hair to feel if something was wrong.

"Get a life," I snapped back.

"Madeline," dad cut me off angrily. "Behave yourself."

I rolled my eyes.

Dad looked at me sternly for several seconds until Stephen made an annoyed sound. Dad's head snapped up, looking at Stephen tenderly. Made me want to puke.

"Right. Let's get the luggage," dad suggested. He started to walk to the back of the car, opening it up. When he dragged out two humongous suitcases I realized he thought he was moving in.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked him angrily.

"Carrying the luggage inside," dad replied innocently.

"Oh, no. No, you're not. You're not staying here," I said, crossing my arms.

"Maddy, it's not your house."

"It's more mine than yours. You're not staying here," I repeated in a determined voice. Dad ignored me this time, walking past me with the two heavy suitcases. Stephen wasn't doing anything to help him. I saw no way to stop dad from getting into the house, and I didn't want to pull a childish stunt like pushing him or anything.

So I decided to go find Horton. He had to have a say in this. There had to be a reason that my parents hadn't been talking to Horton in… what, ten years? They couldn't like each other, he must be on my side.

"I'm borrowing the car," I said flatly, avoiding eye-contact with any of them as I stalked to the driver's side of dad's car. The key was still there, so I just sat in.

"Where are you going?" dad called after me, but I ignored him again as I pulled out of the drive-way. I headed for the store. Horton was supposed to be there Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings.

I walked straight in, ignoring the sign that said 'I'll be back in fifteen minutes' as I made my way towards the counter. I could wait here. But then… whoa.

I jumped back with a surprised shriek at what I saw.

Because now that the tall isles weren't in the way I could see into the back room, and that was not a pleasant sight. It was the woman from yesterday and Horton. Luckily for me they had their clothes on, or else I would have been ruined for life, but they were still making out like crazy.

I whirled around, hoping to get away as fast as possible. A moment later I felt a sharp pain stinging my nose, and I groaned. I had walked straight into one of the shelves due to my lack of concentration. I heard Horton call my name.

"Maia," he exclaimed, surprised. I heard the sound of something hard falling to the floor and a door being slammed open.

"Don't worry, I'm leaving," I said without turning. I held a hand over my sore nose.

"No, it's okay," he called. I dared to turn my head a little, in time to see him stop behind the counter. "What is it?" he asked me.

"I… uh." I stopped as the woman came after Horton out, putting a hand on his shoulder. I had had enough of grown-up relationships for one day. Too much old-people-emotions. "Dad came to visit with his husband and I don't want them living in the house," I reeled off, spinning back around. I stalked back out of the store, eager to get away from there.

Horton was right behind me.

"Are they there now?" he asked me. I turned to see that his face had paled a little, and I nodded.

"Yeah, they got there just now." I looked warily over Horton's shoulder to see if the woman was following, but she wasn't.

"Are they going to stay?"

"I don't know, I didn't really ask them very many questions," I said. It got out a bit sharper than I'd intended, but Horton didn't seem to notice. Or he didn't mind. "But I don't want them in the house. I've been trying to avoid those two all summer, and –"

"Of course they can't stay with us," Horton said uncertainly. His eyes flickered from me and back to the store. "Um… I'm going home right now. Stacy can probably watch the shop if you want to come too."

"Do I have to?" I asked, trying not to seem rude. "I… uh, sort of had other plans today," I lied. Or, it wasn't a lie. I _did_ have other plans. Only they weren't… what could I say… um, really planned? Unplanned plans, a new thing of mine.

"Sure, Stacy can probably stay for a couple of hours," Horton said kindly. That's what we decided. I let dad's car stay where it was. I couldn't exactly take that with me everywhere I was going today, in case… I mean, _since_ dad was going to need it pretty soon. He would just have to come get it here.

I did not say goodbye to "Stacy". She scared me.

With that I headed for Sam and Emily's house. It was much longer to walk from here to them than from the house, but I would just have to endure it. I enjoyed it, too, though when I finally arrived I was soaking wet again. That darn rain.

Just when the house was in sight, the door opened. Rachel got out, closely followed by Paul. They both saw me at the same time, both frowning disapprovingly. What everyone here had against walking was beyond me.

"Do any of you know where Embry is?" I asked them when I approached them, before any of them had time to say anything.

"I know what Embry's _going to be_ if you don't change into something dry very soon," Rachel told me matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes.

"No, seriously, do you? He was about to tell me something yesterday when Melissa barged in…" I trailed off when I saw Paul's expression darken. That was obviously still a touchy subject for him.

"Actually, we were about to go look for her right now. You don't happen to know where she is?" Rachel asked me smartly.

"I asked first," I replied childishly. Rachel narrowed her eyes, and I did the same. None of us said anything for a long time, and my eyes started stinging, but I didn't blink. At last Paul let out an annoyed sound.

"He's at his house. Where's Melissa?"

"Where's his house?" I demanded.

"Where's Melissa?" he asked more firmly. I stared stubbornly back. I was in _that mood_ today. I would blame it on dad if anyone asked me. Rachel was the one to solve the problem this time.

"We'll give you a lift," she suggested. "Where's Melissa?"

"I have no idea," I admitted. They both groaned.

"Dork," Rachel mumbled, walking towards the car. I couldn't help it but to smirk smugly as I got in the back seat. Paul was obviously in a bad mood today, and I guess Rachel was too because he was. I was glad I wasn't the one he got home to after Melissa ditched him.

Paul drove to a house I'd never been to before. I'd never even been close to it, and I would never be able to find it if it wasn't for them driving me.

It was a small house, looking more like a hut or something. It was brown and Embry's car was parked outside. Paul accompanied me to the door, slamming hard on it with his fist. I cringed a little away from him, expecting him to tear the door down.

"Embry! Get your lazy ass out here, you've got a visitor," he yelled through the door.

Three seconds later the door burst open.

"Wha –" Embry started in an annoyed voice, but then his eyes caught mine. He first looked surprised, then he frowned as he looked me up and down.

"Here. Talk about whatever is so damn important," Paul mumbled, a little too irritated for my taste.

"What did you do to her?" Embry suddenly demanded, his eyebrows furrowing in anger. Overreaction. Maybe he was drunk? Or, worse, high?

"She was walking in the rain," Paul cut him off defensively, and Embry turned his disapproving expression towards me instead. Like I said, I would never understand why these people were so against walking. Just because I got a little wet didn't mean I was dying.

Still, it was unnecessary for Paul to say that.

I didn't get a chance to tell him that, of course, because he had already spun around and was now stalking back to the car. Embry put a hand behind my back, dragging me inside without my permission.

"You need dry clothes," he told me before I could object.

"You're overreacting," I informed him, and he ignored it. He led me up the narrow stairs and into one of the two doors there. We ended up in a bedroom, and he left me by the door as he hurried over to a closet. He mumbled something unintelligible on his way. "What was that?" I asked suspiciously.

He looked up, smiling. "Nothing," he said, brushing it off. I frowned, but he looked away from me, starting to flip through the clothes in the closet. I looked around in the room. It was only one bed, one big bed. It was the same size as one I had been on in a hotel once. Super-sized I think it was called, making it sound more like the menu of McDonalds than anything else. But the point was that it was huge. Embry was a big boy, so he probably even needed all that space.

"Who lives here?" I asked.

"I do," he replied without looking up.

"Alone?"

"Yes." So I was right. He did need the whole bed to himself.

"Why?"

"Why do I live alone?" he asked me as he dragged something blue out of the closet. _His _closet.

"Yes, why don't you live with your parents or something?" I asked, feeling a bit nosy. He didn't seem to mind, though, as he walked to me with dry clothes and that carefree grin on his face again.

"I wanted to stand on my own feet. Didn't want to depend on my parents all the time. Plus, I was getting too big to fit in my room, and mum though it cost too much to feed me," he added with a crooked smile. I laughed.

I envied him a bit. I wanted to live for myself. I hated that my parents were able to control me just because I was a minor and lived at home. It wasn't fair. But mum would never allow me to move out. Not a chance in hell.

"Bathroom is right there," Embry told me, pointing out the bedroom door and to the other one on this floor. I nodded with another smile, not using the energy to protest again.

The clothes were, naturally, way too big for me. It was sweat pants and a t-shirt. The t-shirt reached my knees, so I made a knot of it to keep it up. And the pants… well, let's just say it didn't look pretty. I tightened it around my waist and folded up the legs to my ankles. It looked horrible, but it would have to do.

As I walked out of the bathroom and back down the stairs I noticed how clean everything was. And tidy, nothing was out of place. Not that there were many things here. I walked through a small living room with a tiny sofa and an even smaller TV. That was it in that room. Then I got to the kitchen.

That's where I found Embry.

He turned around when I got in, beaming at me.

"Do you like coffee?" he asked me.

I laughed. "No, but I'll have it anyway."

"Good, because it's the only warm thing I've got here," he smiled apologetically. I shrugged. "But it does taste like shit, doesn't it?"

I laughed and nodded in agreement. "But still, everyone drinks it. I don't get it."

"Me neither," he replied. I sat down by the simple kitchen table on a hard chair. One of those boring ones, nothing special about them, they didn't give me anything but a place to sit.

Embry joined me shortly after with two cups of coffee. We had a sip at the same time, both grimacing at the taste and then laughing.

"You're so stupid," I mumbled as I had another sip.

"Me?" he protested, staring at me with a shocked expression. I started laughing again, getting the coffee stuck in my throat as I did it. It came out as a croaking sound, and Embry jumped to his feet. He didn't reach to get to me, though, before I recovered by myself.

I laughed at both me and him, and he sat down looking worriedly at me.

"I know that expression," I smirked. "You're wondering if I'm really as crazy as I look. Let me tell you," I said, leaning in as if telling a secret. He copied me with a waiting smile on his face. "I'm crazi_er_," I whispered, nodding my head for emphasize.

He stared at me in silence, then he ruffled my hair. "Weirdo."

I leaned back, sticking my tongue out.

He stared back, and I snorted. "Drink your coffee, you freak," I mumbled.

He huffed, but did as I said. We both drank up our coffee before talking again, grimacing every other second. It would have looked funny from the outside. Well, it was funny from the inside, too, but I didn't want to laugh anymore while drinking coffee. It wasn't comfortable.

"Why did you come here?" Embry asked me after I finished, and I looked at him with one raised eyebrow. He chuckled. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant, that… I guess I did mean it like that." I giggled. "Just answer the question," he demanded with a small smile.

"Because you didn't get to say what you planned to say yesterday. You were supposed to explain why I will forgive you, I still don't know why I should," I said seriously. Not joke-serious, but serious-serious.

He turned serious too.

"Do we have to take this right now?" he asked weakly. I opened my mouth to answer, but then I looked into his eyes. He was cheating again, making his eyes glow hypnotizing. I found it hard to look away. He wasn't playing fair.

I tore my eyes away from his. "Why not?" I just asked.

"Because… it's really complicated and I don't know if I'm ready," he told me in a sort of sad voice.

"But you were about to tell me before. Many times," I reminded him. He nodded.

"Yes, but can't it wait? Can't we go back to five minutes ago? I liked it that way."

I pursed my lips.

"But you won't tell me why you told Paul?"

"I want to, but I can't… well, I can, but I won't…" He stopped talking, shaking his head. "What does it matter now, anyway? She's keeping it, so he would have found out one way or another."

"But she wasn't keeping it when you told him," I reminded him.

"No…" he mumbled, trying to find a way out of it. "So you absolutely won't forgive me until I tell you? Not if I promise that I will when I'm ready?" he asked me in a pleading voice. Then he added: "When _you're_ ready?"

I couldn't even try to guess what was so important. Why did _I_ need to be ready? _I_ wasn't involved in anything that was important like that. If I was, wouldn't I know? But the way he acted made me feel like I was in the middle of something.

"Do you _promise_?" I asked him sternly.

"Yes," he replied quickly.

"No, you have to _really_ promise, okay? And this time you have to _keep_ your promise."

"I _promise_. Really. Truly. Honestly. I would never betray your trust again, Maia," he told me seriously. His words made me blush and smile giddily, and that made him beam.

"Okay," I breathed stupidly. He grinned like a child on Christmas. Idiot.

"So you forgive me, right?" he checked.

I giggled and nodded. He was next to me in a matter of milliseconds, scooping me up from my seat in a suffocating hug. He put me back down before I could tell him to loosen up, and put his hands on my shoulders as if to keep me from falling.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked me.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

It was as simple as that. He said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world, light and honest. But that was the way he was. Easy.

"Really?"

"Yes."

I swallowed. I had to say it. I knew I could. Or… I didn't know. What if it was a lie? I mean, I was a confused person. Maybe it wasn't the real thing? It wasn't a word I used easily. I never even told Lena I loved her.

I swallowed again, bracing myself.

"I think… I think I love you too," I pressed out in a thin voice.

* * *

**He didn't tell her yet, but I _think_ he will next chapter. Yeah. **

**Depends on everything. **

**I know I was supposed to update yesterday (about two hours ago it became yesterday), but I tried! Really hard! **

**It's just, this turned out to be a busy day, so I stayed up late to finish this thing. No I'm gonna sleep, because I think I deserve it. If you only knew what I've been up to today..**

**Don't hate me for being mean to her father! I'm sorry if I offended anyone with how I described her father and Stephen, but it's from Maia's POV and she's a bit pissed at her father, so that's the way she looks at it. It's not because I have something against gay couples, because I don't. **

**Hope this doesn't offend anyone either, but I actually wish I had a gay friend.. yeah. That would be cool. **

**Okay, I loved your reviews last chapter, made me smile so much. Keep the random stuff coming, that's the conversation-starters. **

**Tomorrow I'm gonna drive a car! **

**No, I do not think that's a very good idea considering the rest of the world's health and wellbeing, but it's fun for me. **

**Well, good night. I need my beauty sleep. **


	19. Hiking

**I was going to post this yesterday, but I couldn't because fanfiction decided not to let me log in. Grr. **

**So, here it is, and I don't own Twilight. **

* * *

Embry drove me home a few hours later. He said he had 'something to do' and therefore I had to go. I didn't even try and say I could walk, because I knew he would never let me.

"Are you doing something tomorrow, too?" I asked him before I stepped out of the car.

"Yes," he said. He looked sad about it, and shot me an apologetic look. "What about Sunday?"

"Sure, Sunday's cool," I replied, smiling.

"Great," he said, smiling widely again. Sometimes he was so easy to please. Like giving candy to a kid. "I'll see you then," he added. I nodded. Waiting. Wasn't he forgetting something? Like… a kiss?

I noticed the smug look on his face. Yeah, he was waiting too. He obviously liked it when I was the one to kiss him. Well, two could play that game. With a smirk I patted his head, going for the door. He made a protesting sound as I slammed the door closed. When I turned to wave I saw him jump out from his own side.

"You're so mean," he mumbled with a slight smile as he came over to me. I grinned and met him half-way, standing on my tip-toes as he bent down.

"And you're such a push-over," I said into the kiss. He pulled back.

"Only when it comes to you," he told me.

"I know. I'm special."

He stuck his tongue out at me, and then he ruffled my hair.

"I've got to go now. See you Sunday, okay?"

"Yeah."

"And… stay inside," he added before he gave me another short peck on the lips, and then he hurried back to his car. I waved as he pulled out of the drive-way. That's when I noticed the unwelcome addition to other cars outside the house.

I felt the fury rise in me instantly, then I stalked inside.

"Dad!" I bellowed into the house, forgetting all about manners. "Dad, why are you still here!" I walked with determined steps into the kitchen, and found dad, Horton and Stephen there. Stephen was distant, as usual, staring at his nails, dad was looking at me, and Horton was looking at his hands.

"Hi, princess," dad said in the same warm voice as earlier.

"Don't 'hi princess' me. Why are you here?" I demanded.

"We're staying for a couple of days, honey, before we're going on that road-trip with you," he told me calmly. I stared at him. What road-trip? I never said yes to anything like that.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him angrily. "I'm not going anywhere with you two. Haven't you grasped that yet?" Dad's eyes turned pleading and sad. I hated it when he did that, it made him look more like a helpless little boy instead of an old man that should have learned to sort out his priorities years ago.

"Maddy, please be reasonable. I haven't spent a week with you in two years," he said in almost a begging voice.

"Get used to it, because it's not going to change. I'm _not_ sorry and I _don't_ care about you. I don't want you in my life, _dad_. Get over it," I told him harshly. I whirled around, stalking away from them before I had time to feel sorry for any of them.

No one called me back, and I was glad. At least they had some sense left in them. I headed for my room, and slammed the door closed after me with as much force as I could manage. I knew it was childish, but I needed to get out my anger some way.

I grabbed my pillow, pressing it to my face before I groaned as loudly as I could into it. It turned out to be almost a scream. Then I collapsed in my bed, burying my face in the mattress.

The door opened a few seconds later. I jumped up to my feet, bringing the pillow with me. I threw the pillow towards the door, hoping to hit whoever it was' face.

"They say _I'm_ short-tempered," said Melissa's voice as she avoided the pillow.

"I thought it was dad," I mumbled angrily as I slid down to sit on the edge of the mattress.

"Oh, well, that explains it, I guess," Melissa sighed, coming over to me.

"What do you want?"

"I found the father," she told me. It took me a couple of seconds to understand what she said, then I lifted my face to stare at her.

"Of your baby?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Oh," I breathed. "How?"

She chuckled. "Turns out his mother still labels his underwear," she told me with a laugh. I frowned but let out a short laugh too. "His name is Christopher, and he was apparantly really drunk too. But he… he said that he would, um, support me. I guess that's a good thing. I think he meant financially, though, I'm not sure if he wants anything to do with the baby."

"How old is he?"

"He's… okay, don't tell anyone. Because he's nineteen, and it's sort of illegal for him to… you know, since I'm still only sixteen," she told me in a thin voice. I nodded with a shudder. That wouldn't be nice. "So… this time, don't tell _anyone_, _especially_ not Paul or _any_ of his friends. Not even Embry. Okay?"

"Of course, I won't," I assured her. I knew how that worked out last time, and even though I sort of trusted Embry now, I didn't want to take the chance this time. "So, what will you do? Keep him a secret?"

"I'm not sure. I could have told dad, I mean, he already knows I'm pregnant. Don't know who told him that, but he took it quite well. I could tell him that it wasn't Christopher's fault more than it was mine, and no one would suffer, but I don't think Paul would be very understanding," she mumbled.

"I don't think so either," I agreed.

"So I guess I will keep it a secret. Maybe he could pretend to be a very close friend or something, then no one would wonder why he kept hanging around… I don't know. He suggested that."

"Complicated," I grumbled.

"Tell me about it," she muttered back, dragging a hand through her flaming red hair. I noticed that by her scalp her hair had started growing out in a different color, her natural color. Almost like mine, perhaps a little darker, but it was hard to tell. She had probably had too much on her mind lately to dye it again.

"What's your dad doing here? I though he and my dad was like mortal enemies or something," Melissa asked me in a mildly interested manner.

"He's here because he has this idea that I want to spend my vacation with him. Which I never will."

"Why would he stay here? I mean, I thought he would have stayed away from dad."

I frowned. "Why?"

Melissa's eyebrows rose in surprise, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, you don't know, do you?" she asked with a sheepish grin.

"I know he's gay if that's what you mean. My dad."

"Yeah, but did you know he thought my dad was too?"

Again I was too shocked to understand at once. I stared at her and my mouth fell open. "Wha… seriously?"

"Yeah. Ten years ago, or something like that, he did something that dad didn't really respond to. If you know what I mean." I felt nauseous.

"_Ten_ years ago?" I stuttered.

"I'm not sure if it was exactly ten years, but something like that. Since then you never visited again."

"I…" I started, frowning. I didn't remember anything about that. "How do you remember, you were even younger than me," I pointed out. She shrugged.

"Paul remembers it better than me. But it's still hard to forget, they didn't really keep their voices down," she said with a slight smile. I blinked, shaking my head to get rid of the unpleasant picture forming in my mind.

"But I didn't know. I only found out a couple of years ago," I mumbled feeling a little cheated.

"I think your parents had a fight when your mum found out that time. Don't ask me where you were, they were pretty loud that time, too. Maybe your dad found a way out of it, I don't know what."

"Wow. I can't even remember _being_ here and all _this_ happened. I can't have paid much attention to my surroundings."

"Probably not," Melissa agreed.

We didn't say anything else. I sat frozen, going through all the extra information Melissa had fed me with moments ago.

"That's why dad has been going crazy with that dating-thing. Someone, I suspect it was Rachel, made the profile for him on that online dating-site, and since then he's been going out with new people every week. I mean, it was bad before, when he hit on every single woman he saw, but this is just plain embarrassing," Melissa muttered after a while. I chuckled. He was a crazy guy, my uncle.

"I saw one of them today, in the store. Stacy," I remembered.

"Never heard of her before, she must be new," Melissa laughed. "I think he feel very manly when he does that dating-thing. Makes him forget. I think he's afraid more people will think he's… you know, gay. He's conservative."

"Yeah," I replied.

"Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with gay people. I think they're cool. I mean, the ones that stand out, comes out of the closet, you know that they're brave people that don't care what other people think of them –"

"Point taken, Mel. I'm mean to my dad."

She smiled.

I groaned. Who knew _Melissa_ was going to be the reasonable of us? I didn't want to be nice to my dad, he'd lied to me through my whole childhood. I even had the proof now. But the way Melissa looked at me made me feel almost sorry for him.

"I don't want to talk about that right now, okay?" I said sharply.

"Whatever you wish, princess," she smirked, reaching out to pat my head. I dodged her hand with an irritated groan, and her smile widened as she left my room.

I stared at the door after she left. Then I decided to go to bed, make this an early night. Though I already knew I would never be able to sleep tonight.

* * *

I was very careful as I sneaked down the stairs the next morning. I stopped at the bottom step, looking to both sides before I headed for the kitchen. A voice behind me made me jump.

"Hey, princess," it said happily.

"Jesus!" I cried, whirling around to see dad in a silky morning gown. I frowned, looking him up and down. "What happened to you?" I asked in disgust.

"Do you like it? Stephen got me it. I think it's kinda too… flowerish, or what do you think?"

I stared at him. My answer was too obvious.

"Get back to bed, _dad_," I mumbled, trying not to sound _too_ mean. I'd been thinking about it all night, thanks to Melissa, and now I couldn't shake of the feeling that I was a total meanie towards my dad. But it felt natural by now to talk to him like he wasn't worth anything. Made no sense trying to be nice.

"Are you going out?" dad asked me, following me to the kitchen. He completely ignored what I said.

"Yes. I'm going hiking."

"Oh, sounds really nice," he said in a way too light voice. He spent too much time with Stephen. "Can I come? You know I love hi –"

"No," I said in a voice as cold as ice. Then I cleared my throat. "I want to go alone. I… need to think." It was a hard battle, keeping my voice calm and nice. But I won. For now, at least.

"Oh. Maybe another time, then."

I didn't answer that one. Didn't want to promise anything.

"Are you going right now?"

"Soon."

"Okay, great," dad said, trying to sound enthusiastic. I gave him a weak smile as I helped myself to a cup of coffee. I had a sip, and suddenly the coffee didn't taste as bad as before. I suspected it was because I'd had it with Embry yesterday, and the memory was still fresh in my mind.

"So," dad said conversely as he slid down on a kitchen chair. "Who was the guy from the car yesterday?" he asked casually, like he'd read my mind. I froze, moving my eyes to dad. He was looking back at me curiously, not judging. Was it just me, or did _everyone_ know _everything_ in this house?

"He's just a guy," I said warily. It was probably a waste of time trying to sound innocent. If dad had seen anything it would have been the kiss. Great. What every girl wants their father to see.

"_Just_ a guy?" came a very unwelcome voice from the door. "That was one _hot_ guy, honey. How did you get your hands on _that_?" Stephen asked me in an impressed voice. He floated into the kitchen, sitting down next to dad. I noticed they had matching morning gowns. Dorks.

"He's just Embry," I mumbled, hurrying to finish the coffee.

"Embry, huh?" dad said smartly. He raised an eyebrow in a suggesting manner, and I coughed at the coffee.

"Dad," I croaked. "_So_ not any of your business. I'm leaving," I decided, throwing the cup in the sink and stalking out of the kitchen and out the front door. I slammed it closed behind me, shuddering. I was _so_ not going back in to them any time soon.

I found a different path than before this time. It wasn't as clear as the one I was used to, and neither was my head. It was filled with so many thoughts that I did not pay attention to where I was walking and soon I realized that I wasn't even on a path anymore.

I stopped short, looking around myself. I _always_ stayed on the path. I sucked at following maps or compasses, so I chose paths. Never a problem. Until now, of course.

"Great," I mumbled to myself.

I started walking back in the direction I thought I came from, but about one hour later I still hadn't found a path. I leaned against a tree, feeling lost. I corrected myself instantly.

I was _not_ lost.

I was _never_ lost.

After only a few minutes of resting, drinking some water, I got back up. I continued walking in the same direction. Somewhere it had to end or meet a path. It was impossible for a forest to just go on and on, I knew that.

Another two hours later I was still nowhere near civilization. I never met anything that looked like a path and I definitely didn't find the end of the forest.

It took me about one more hour to lose faith in myself completely.

I was lost.

Completely lost.

Well, that was just… fantastic, wasn't it.

I knew a few things about being alone in the wild. What I was supposed to do. Dad had told me when I was a kid, but over the years, after path-hiking forever, I guess I forgot.

First, I should have told someone where I was going, and I hadn't exactly done that. It could take a while for someone to find me in here. But that was too late to do anything about now, I didn't have my phone or anything.

Then I knew I shouldn't sit still for long. I could fall asleep, and when the night came I might freeze to death. Or what if there were dangerous animals here? I shuddered.

I had no food, no more water left, and I couldn't sleep. Well, I must say, things looked bright for me now. Not.

I had to keep moving, so I got to my feet again. I didn't think searching for a path would get me very long, so I decided to find an open area. If people looked for me that would be the easiest place to see me.

With that thought I started walking again, automatically putting one foot in front of the other, concentrating on not breaking down in tears and cry over the hopeless situation I had gotten myself into. Embry would just _love_ this. I mean, I knew he was a _big_ fan of hiking.

I suddenly heard a crack behind me, and I froze in my pace. I was certain it was an animal. I felt shudders run up my spine, like my body knew the danger before my brain. I slowly turned around… and let out a sigh in relief.

It was a man, probably a hiker just like me, and he stood still, watching me with a weird expression on his face. His nose was wrinkled and his eyes were curious.

"Oh, thank god!" I exclaimed at the sight of him. He didn't flinch at my outburst. I cursed in my head for the not exactly elegant greeting and cleared my throat before I said anything else. "I thought I was lost," I explained. The man (who also was completely gorgeous, by the way) frowned.

"How strange," he muttered.

"What?"

He narrowed his eyes as if in concentration for a second. "Nothing, nothing," he said, shrugging it off. "What's your name?"

"Maia," I told him.

"Maia," he repeated. "I'm William."

He took a step closer, and I instinctively wanted to take a step back. My body was still startled from earlier, when I'd thought it was an animal of some kind. I was safe now, I tried convincing myself. _William_ was just a hiker who hopefully knew the area better than me.

He didn't look like a hiker, though. He had no shoes, and his clothes were ragged and worn. Was he lost too? He looked like he'd lived out her for weeks, not like he was only on a joy-trip through the forest.

"Do you… know the way out of here?" I asked to be sure.

"Yes," he said. Relief flushed over me.

"Can you show me? Like I said, I'm lost."

"Sure. But I need some rest first," he said with a dazzling smile. He went to sit on a stone a few feet away from me. Too close for my liking. I pushed away the stupid fright, it was just ridiculous. He wouldn't do me anything. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself," he suggested.

"Like what?" I asked hesitantly. That was weird thing to ask a stranger. He studied me for a minute. I looked at his smooth, pale face and pitch black eyes. They stood in perfect contrast to each other, and they intimidated me. Just to prove to myself that I wasn't afraid, I took a step closer to him.

"What do you know about werewolves?" he asked randomly. I frowned at the unusual question. He couldn't be serious. But he looked that way. Maybe he had escaped a house for maniacs or something.

"What do you mean?"

"Werewolves," he repeated, as if to a child.

"Uh… they're cool," I mumbled, taking a mini-step backwards. He smiled carelessly at me. Like he thought asking about werewolves was a completely normal thing to do. I took another step back from the crazy man, expecting him to drag out a gun or some scary weird weapon to kill me slowly and painfully. I swallowed before I asked kindly: "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, nothing," he brushed it off, still smiling that weird, false smile. "Well, I guess I should get this over with," he said with a sigh, getting up. He smiled wider, this time exposing a bunch of perfect pearl-white teeth. I gasped involuntarily, jumping back a few steps.

Then William suddenly got wide eyes, looking at something behind me. Before I had the time to turn around, big hands grabbed my shoulders roughly and yanked me backwards. I would have fallen over if I wasn't being held up.

I was pushed behind a huge body, and I heard a growl coming from his chest. Bewildered, I leaned around his body to look. In a flash William was no longer where he had just been. I blinked. What?

I saw whoever was in front of me starting to shake, and I staggered backwards, away from him. He turned abruptly, and I froze.

"Embry?" I asked in confusion. What was _he_ doing here? He was supposed to be doing something today. Had he followed me or something? No, he couldn't have, I would have noticed.

His face was twisted in anger and concentration, his eyes locked on me. He wasn't wearing a shirt either, I noticed, and that might have distracted me pretty much if I wasn't already confused to the edge of no return.

"Maia," he just said. He stopped shaking, but still had an intense grimace on his face. "Come on. I'll follow you home," he said, holding out his hand. I frowned. No explanation?

"What happened?" I asked. My voice was thin, scared. I noticed that I was trembling, my body still frightened from before. I was too confused to understand or care why. "Where's William?"

"He's gone. I'll explain when we get home, okay?" he said kindly, beckoning me closer. I didn't move, and I wasn't going to until he explained to me.

"Why are you here?"

"I'll tell you later," he repeated in a flat voice.

"What happened to William?" I asked again, ignoring what Embry said. He opened his mouth to say something, and just then we heard a loud howl. I shuddered and Embry flinched a little by the sound of it. Then his expression turned even more determined, like his mind was made up after hearing the howl.

"Come on, we need to get back now," he said in a sharper voice, a little too commanding for my taste.

"What was the howling?" I demanded. His eyes flickered uncertainly, and I instantly recognized the look. My eyes widened a little with the sudden realization. "It's about your secret, isn't it?"

He didn't have to answer that. I saw it in his face anyway.

"It's your gang. You're up to something, right? Protectors, that's what you said –"

As I spoke, Embry grew tired of waiting. He took two long strides, putting him right in front of me, and took my arm firmly. I stopped talking. I tried yanking my arm free once, but quickly grasped that I wouldn't win that fight.

"What _do_ you protect people from?" I asked him as he started walking, pulling me with him. He had answered that before, kind of, said it was the bears. But the answer had been unclear, not necessarily a lie, but he hadn't told me the whole truth.

"Can't we take this when we get home?" Embry said, sounding like he was talking through grit teeth. I tried meeting his gaze, but it was impossible since I was trailing a few steps behind him and he was staring right ahead of himself. I stumbled as I tried to get in front of him, and he hauled me back up without looking at me.

"Does it have something to do with William?" I guessed.

Embry grumbled something unintelligible, and I took that as a yes.

"And the howling, that, too?"

"Maia," he mumbled. "I'll explain when we're inside, okay?"

"Why not now?" I challenged.

"Because it's really complicated and you won't believe me."

"You can't know that yet," I argued.

"I know," he replied curtly.

"You _don't_!" I insisted, a little childishly.

"Yes, I _do_," he said, just as childishly. I groaned in annoyance, trying once again to free my hand. It wouldn't budge, and I hadn't expected it to, but it still made me furious.

"Let go," I ordered and stopped walking. I dug my heels into the ground to slow him down. It didn't work, as Embry kept walking, so I simply stumbled again. This time I avoided his hand when he tried to straighten me, and my knees and my free hand connected with the ground hard.

At least that made him stop, helping me up even though I tried battling his hands away stubbornly.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled as I kept tugging my arm. He didn't start walking again, but he looked me in the eyes now.

"Are you going to tell me now?" I asked, my voice shaking in anger.

"I really don't think you'll believe me," he muttered, mostly to himself, I think.

"Try me," I replied sourly.

"I _promise_ to tell you, okay? When we get home. When it's safe –" He cut himself off, looking away. I was suddenly interested again.

"Safe? You mean it's not safe here? What's dangerous?" I asked in a hurry.

"A lot of things, that's why I need to get you home," he told me, sounding almost annoyed that I hadn't grasped that before. I ignored that, and kept letting the questions flow.

"What is the danger? Is it the bear? Is there more than one? Is that why you're here? And William, why is _he_ here, he isn't part of your gang –"

"Maia," he cut me off, irritated.

"Tell me, then. What was it with William? What happened to him –"

"_William_ wasn't –" Embry interrupted harshly, but trailed off suddenly. "He's not nice. He was going to hurt you," he mumbled, uncertain again.

"Why?" I demanded. "How can you know?" I tried to worm the answer out of him, and he looked more and more unwilling to answer.

"He's… you won't believe it. You'll think I'm crazy."

If this had been any other time, any other situation, I would have answered teasingly 'I already do', but this was a way too serious conversation for that.

"I won't, just tell me," I urged him instead.

Embry looked at me, his eyes honest and clear. It was the expression he got every time he tried telling me his secret, and this time I hoped he would actually go through with it. He took a short breath, and then he finally said it:

"He's a vampire."

* * *

**There, he told her. **

**And she was a bit nicer to her dad, too. **

**I just wanted to explain, if you didn't get it, why she isn't dead already. Because William knew about the wolves, he'd seen them or whatever, but he got confused when the scents were mixed together. So he got a little curious. **

**I think there was something else I wanted to say.. but I can't really remember..**

**I'll just say what I _do_ remember, then. **

**Someone asked me (don't remember who..) if I was going to do a Seth imprint story, and I don't think I will. I have good reasons for that: **

**- Seth is fifteen and his imprint (I imagine her name to be Sophie) is twelve. None of them is old enough for a romantic relationship, so it would just be friendship, and I don't think that's as fun to write about. I could just skip ahead, but then half the point would go missing. **

**- Because of her age, he couldn't have told her about the pack and stuff before she's older. So she'll be constantly ignorant about a big part of his life, and the plot would be boring. **

**- I can't start thinking about another story now. I have this one, New Directions and Paul and Rachel, and I'm already really confused. **

**Maybe I'll just make a series of one-shots about them, because I have a lot of fun ideas. I haven't started writing them down yet, because then I might get obsessed and I can't finish anything. That wouldn't be good. **

**Okay, still can't remember what I was supposed to remember, but I guess I'll write it in the next chapter instead.**

**I wrote this on the top, too, but I was going to post this yesterday. I couldn't log in, I have no idea why, but I also got a PM from HazyCrazy that the review-thing didn't work either, so maybe a lot of things went wrong here.. **

**This is getting a bit long, so I'll go now...**


	20. Confusion

**I don't own anything SM does, I just own everything I do. **

* * *

I woke up feeling unusually out-rested. Normally I was dead-tired when I woke in the morning, no matter how long I'd slept. But not this morning. I also felt strangely warm. I had this habit of kicking my covers of while I slept, so I woke up cold.

I was almost scared to open my eyes. What else was different than usual?

I started moving my fingers just to be sure they were still there. The left hand moved as it was supposed to, but I felt the fingers on my right hand being trapped, pinned down. That also seemed to be where the warmth was coming from.

Confused, I opened my eyes.

I jumped when I found an all-too familiar face only inches from my own.

"Shh," he said quickly, putting a carful hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me back down in a lying position. I relaxed, deciding it was best not to move till my head stopped spinning. And then I had to find out what Embry was doing in my room.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Sure," I replied, yawning. I tried to remember last night, figuring it might help me find the reason for him being here. No need to make myself sound like a total idiot if the reason was obvious.

The memories suddenly fell over me all at once, and I gasped. I shrank away from Embry automatically, but his hold on my hand stopped me from coming very far.

"You're a werewolf," I said accusingly, tugging my hand out of his.

"Yes," he answered warily. Well, at least it wasn't a dream, then. Not that it was very comforting to know that. I'd rather want it to be a dream. Definitely.

I frowned, not sure how to react to this. I moved my hand to my head, dragging it through my messy hair.

"Are you okay?" Embry repeated uncertainly. I looked at him, frowning deeper.

"Uh," I mumbled. "I'm not sure."

"Is it confusing?" he guessed carefully.

"Yes," I allowed. 'Confusing' didn't cover it at all. I had no idea what I was supposed to think about this. It all spun around in my head at once, and I was constantly reminded of the words _vampire_, _werewolf _and _imprint_. I shook my head, trying to shut it out for a moment, to get a better view of the situation.

"I'm sorry I dropped it all at once at you. I guess I didn't plan it very well," Embry mumbled, almost as if to himself.

"It's…" I started, but trailed off. I was going to say 'it's okay', but then I realized I wasn't sure if I thought it was. I tried clearing my head, but it didn't work this time either. So I just said it anyway. "It's okay."

Embry looked at me, taking my hand again. I let him, because I didn't know why I _shouldn't_ let him. Of course, that meant I didn't know why I _should_ let him either.

"So… what do you think?" he asked me quietly.

"About?"

"Everything."

"I think…" I tried finding something to say. I didn't want to say something boring like 'I don't know'. He deserved better than that. Or at least I think I thought he did. "… that… I'm glad you saved me," I mumbled.

"You're welcome," he replied, smiling faintly.

"And that I won't go hiking anymore," I added. At least I knew why he was so determined that I didn't walk, especially not in the forest. I wouldn't do that again.

"Not alone. I could go with you if you'd like," he suggested. That simple promise made me smile.

"Okay," I grinned, and he smiled back.

"Anything else? There must be something you want to talk about," he said.

"I…" I started, stopping again. I didn't know how to finish the sentence. I had no idea where to start, which end to begin with. I couldn't wrap my head around it, it was just too much at once. "I… don't know," I sighed.

"Are you scared?" he asked me softly.

I thought about that. Was I scared? A bit shocked, yes, confused, definitely. Scared? I didn't think so. When he'd talked about imprinting he had especially emphasized two things. One was love. The other one was _protector_. He was, and the gang, or the pack as he called it, was protectors. I had nothing to fear.

"No," I said honestly, and he smiled in relief. He started pulling me closer. I didn't fight him, once again because I wasn't sure what I wanted. I fell stiff against his chest, my arms straight down at my sides as I tried figuring it out.

"Relax," Embry murmured in my ear, and I tried to. I made myself calm down, softened up my limbs and muscles.

"Embry," I mumbled.

"Yes?"

"What happened to William?"

"He's gone," he simply said, at the same time as he tightened his arms around me.

"Dead?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay." I wasn't sure how I felt about that, either.

Feeling sort of claustrophobic in Embry's embrace, I made a move to lean back. He reluctantly let his arms slide off me, letting his hands follow my arms down to my hands. He held them securely in his.

"Still confused?"

I nodded. "Yes," I replied quietly.

He hesitated before asking. "Do you want me to leave?"

It took me a while to answer. I wasn't sure. In one way I didn't want him to. It felt sort of nice to have him here, though at the same time very confusing and a little creepy. I was also scared it would hurt him if I told him to go. But I needed some time alone to think about all of this.

"Maybe," I pressed out. He did look hurt – for a moment. Then he smiled at me, reassuringly.

"Okay. I'll come back later, is that okay?"

"Yes," I answered. He smiled, leaning forward to plant a kiss on my forehead. I felt natural but weird at the same time. A mixture of the two, making me even more confused. Embry stroke my hair out of my face.

"See you later, then," he muttered, heading for the window. I didn't ask him why he wouldn't take the door, simply because I wasn't interested in hearing the answer. I had enough to think about.

As he jumped out, without a sound, I collapsed back onto my bed. It only took a few minutes before the door opened again, and this time it was Melissa. She smiled happily as she came to sit on my bed.

"He finally told you, didn't he?" she guessed.

"Yes."

"Good, I wondered how long he would keep it a secret, It was starting to get annoying."

I frowned. I had been told not to tell anyone, how come Melissa knew? Embry said he hadn't even been allowed to tell his parents.

"How long have you known?" I asked weakly.

"Since about two years ago. That was when Paul first… phased," she told me. Phased. That was when they switched from human to wolf, or the other way around. "He weren't supposed to tell me. But he kind of had to after I got him on tape," she grinned.

I forced out a chuckle, feeling it was the right kind of response to that.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"At that time I was really into film-making and stuff, everything that involved cameras interested me. I put cameras all over the house, but after I got a little mature scene of my dad making out with an unknown woman, he made me put it outside the house instead. Told me some rubbish about how I could help the police if someone broke in the house or something. Of course, I even believed it would be a good idea.

"So I did, and the first morning after I'd had it out there over the night, I went through it all fast forward. I stopped it when I saw a huge wolf come into the yard. Right then everyone talked about the wolves, or the bears, so I was really scared. Thought I'd been _this_ close to dying that night, but then the wolf turned into my brother," she laughed.

I laughed too, still forced, though.

"You can imagine Paul got a little pale when I showed him. He couldn't do anything but tell me. And dad, well, I'm not sure how or when he found out, but he knows, too."

No kidding.

Everyone knew everything in this house.

"So, how did he tell you?" Melissa asked me.

"I… ran into a vampire when I was hiking," I mumbled, feeling a bit stupid. Well, I wasn't going to tell her I got lost or anything, but it still felt kind of ridiculous.

"No way! I always wanted to see one!" she exclaimed. "Don't tell Paul, though, he would freak."

I smiled.

"What was it like?"

"Sort of scary," I admitted.

"Why?" she urged me.

"It was just… I don't know how to explain it, it was just scary, but I didn't know why," I said. It didn't sound right. I couldn't explain it the way it felt, it was too confusing.

"Was he pretty? Or she?"

"I guess he was," I replied uncertainly.

"What did he do, go for your throat?"

"Um, no, he started talking to me and stuff. And then he started asking about werewolves."

"Lucky you," Melissa said with a weird smile. I nodded. Embry said that, too. He said the only reason I was still alive was William's curiosity. He knew about the wolves, but when he found the scents mixed up like that, he felt like he needed to investigate.

I shuddered at the thought. Good thing I hadn't taken a shower that morning, washing the scent off.

"Anyway, I just came here to tell you that Christopher insists on being a part of the baby's life. He says he'd rather be my friend than nothing," she told me with a strange smile.

"Oh, that's great," I said without enthusiasm.

"I can hear you care. I'll go now, so you can do whatever you'd like. Don't hurt yourself or anything, I doubt Embry would be happy about that. He'd start feeling guilty and stuff if you died or something."

"I can hear you care," I said, trying to make my voice sound light, happy, like a joke. I don't think I succeeded.

Melissa smirked at me as she left my room, leaving me alone again.

"Oh," she exclaimed, appearing in the door again. "Rachel wanted to come over later, too. She'll probably give you some _nice_ and _wise advice_ on having a werewolf boyfriend," she told me with a wink. I nodded dismissively, thinking that perhaps I missed the depressive Melissa. She was easier to deal with when she didn't want to talk to me.

I stayed in bed for another half hours, trying to make sense of my thoughts. They were a bit more organized when I went for a shower, but by the time I finished showering I'd managed to confuse myself again.

I walked down the stairs and was on my way into the kitchen. That was until I saw who was there, then I instantly spun around, hoping that I would get back to my room and under my covers unobserved. I wasn't that lucky.

"Maia, get back here," Rachel commanded, and I obeyed with a sigh. I dragged myself to the table, slowly sliding down on a chair. Rachel smiled warmly at me. "Tired?"

"No, it's fine," I replied.

"Good. How's your head?"

"Full."

"I figured that much. You look like you're trying to figure out the meaning of life or something."

"Close," I mumbled, making Rachel chuckle.

"Relax. It's only confusing in the beginning."

"Sure."

"I notice you're only answering me one word at a time," she noted. I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. What did she expect? "Okay, okay, I get it. You don't know what you're supposed to say, right?"

"Maybe," I allowed.

"I don't think this should change anything between you and Embry. I mean, look at the simple facts," she suggested. I stared at her blankly.

"What simple facts?"

"Embry loves you, you love him. That's all you have to worry about."

I thought about that for a moment. How freeing that would be, to only have to worry about that. But I couldn't just worry about that. What about werewolves, vampires, imprinting, patrolling, dangers, killing, searching, tracking, phasing…

"It's not that easy," I disagreed weakly.

"It will be. You just need to get over the shock first," Rachel told me, still smiling sympathetically at me. I shook my head slowly, still deep in thought. "Trust me," she added.

"It's Sunday, right?" I asked suddenly. Rachel frowned at my change of subject and nodded curiously. I was supposed to hang out with Embry today. I wondered if he still held me to it or if I was excused.

_Excused_.

I shouldn't want to be _excused_. I should be overly happy that I got to spend time with him, but things kind of changed. Needless to say why.

He _had_ said he'd be over later, though. Did he mean today-later or later this week? I kind of wished later this week. By then I'd hopefully sorted out my thoughts a bit, and perhaps I knew what I wanted then. Because right now I had no idea whatsoever.

"You look like you're hurting," Rachel informed me. I frowned. Did I really look that focused when I was thinking hard? She wasn't the first one to tell me that, Embry had said it once, and Lena had said it many times.

I was suddenly reminded of my best friend. I hadn't talked to her in days. And for some reason I hadn't missed her very much either. It felt horrible to admit that, even just to myself, but I was too overwhelmed by everything in this place to even think about her.

Now I even felt guilty for thinking about her.

I shouldn't be thinking about her.

Other things should be prioritized.

Like the whole werewolf pack-thing.

I let my head fall into my hands, sighing loudly.

"Do you need some time alone?" Rachel asked me with a smile in her voice. I nodded into my hands. "Okay, I'll go. Want me to tell Embry to come over now, or wait a few hours?" I wanted him to wait more than a few hours, but I owed him better.

"Wait a few hours," I mumbled.

"Okay," she said cheerily. I felt her hand lightly on my hair before she left, but I didn't care.

My head had started slamming. It felt like my brain was bouncing up and down on my forehead, making loops and back flips as it went. Not a very comfortable feeling, I may say.

No one interrupted me for another hour. I held my pose, trying to press the headache out with my bare hands. It didn't exactly work, so in the end I stood up, finding a glass of water. I had to look through pretty much the whole house to find painkillers, in the process also finding out that I was alone.

I swallowed two painkilling tablets, even though I knew I usually only needed one. I wanted the morphine to make me tired so that maybe I could sleep. Even though I'd had a very good night's sleep last night, I wanted to sleep some more. That was the only way to forget.

No, not forget, but to not think about. I didn't want to forget, even though it was tempting.

I didn't think I sounded too dramatic if I said I wanted to go back to before the stupid hike yesterday. No wonder Embry hadn't wanted to ruin it, it was fun and sweet and careless.

Now it was anything but those three.

I went back to my bedroom, hoping to fall asleep again. I quickly found out that it wouldn't work. I couldn't seem to find back to the calmness I'd felt this morning, and probably had felt all night.

Had Embry stayed all night?

The chances were good that he had. He was here when I woke up, and I couldn't remember him leaving last night. All though I couldn't remember very much from yesterday after he'd told me everything. It was late by the time we got home, much because we'd been standing still most of the time as he explained.

I remembered him following me up the stairs, holding onto me like he was afraid I'd fall over or faint or something. Then I think he'd put me to bed, tucking me in like a kid. I guess I was too caught up in my thought to react to that.

After that I must have fallen asleep, though.

Hopefully he'd gotten some sleep himself, too.

Just as I was thinking about him I heard a knock on my door.

"Embry?" I asked quietly. The door opened, and it was him. He smiled warily at me. I forced a small smile, starting to sit up.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. I nodded. The headache was gone and my head was a little clearer now. I knew what I wanted to ask about. First:

"Did you stay here all night?"

"Yes," he replied hesitantly.

"Didn't you sleep?"

"No, not much," he admitted.

"Oh. Okay." I wasn't in the mood for a smart response to that, so I let it pass. I went straight to my second question. "I didn't really understand the imprinting-thing," I told him. He came over to me, sitting down on the floor, facing me. He was clever: this bed probably wouldn't hold us both.

"What didn't you understand?" he asked me eagerly. He had obviously feared that I would react worse. Tell him to leave or something. No, I was too curious and confused to do that.

"Is it… um. I'm not sure. You said you can't be away from me," I said carefully.

"I _can_ but it's not something I want. I mean, it feels like… well… I'm not sure," he trailed off, smiling sheepishly. I made myself smile back. "This will probably sound really cheesy, but it feels a bit like part of my soul is missing," he said with a short laugh.

He was right. It _did_ sound cheesy.

"But you'll live, right?" I checked. He smiled and nodded. That was good. I wasn't sure if he actually realized it, but I had to leave at the end of summer. He wouldn't die.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask about?"

"Yeah." Time for my last question – for now, of course. "Does this change anything?"

He hesitated. "Change how?"

"You know… us?"

"No," he answered quickly. "No, it doesn't change us. Not at all. Not one thing," he continued reassuring me. "Except I don't have to lie to you when I have to patrol or something." It was meant to be a joke, or at least something to smile at, but I just nodded.

"Okay."

"Anything else?"

"No, not right now," I answered. I pressed another smile, feeling my cheeks were already tired of smiling. Embry didn't smile back this time, he studied me silently.

"Really. Are you okay?" he asked me seriously.

"Yes," I said. I was, sort of, though I was still a bit disoriented.

"Really? You don't look like it," he told me, almost accusingly.

"I think I am. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all," I explained to him.

"Do you think you'll be fine?"

I managed to snort. "Of course I will," I told him. He still didn't look convinced, though. He looked apologetic, like he thought it was his fault. It wasn't, of course. I mean, he had to tell me sometime, might as well be now. I was the one who couldn't deal with it.

Even as I smiled as convincingly as I could he still looked torn. I leaned in, brushing my lips against his. He responded then, as I knew he would. Sometimes boys are easily distracted.

So was I, apparently. I was soon so caught up the kiss that I for a moment managed to forget – or at least not think about – the wolves and the vampires. It was nice, as long as it lasted.

"I just need to sleep on it, I think," I mumbled, pulling back a few inches so that I could see his face.

"Okay," Embry said, smiling a bit stupidly. He was light-headed, too, from the kiss. Nice to see I was affecting him, too, and not just the other way around. "Um. Do you want me to leave now?" he asked me uncertainly, reluctantly. I could tell he didn't really want to risk it by giving me a choice.

"No," I replied, making him smile. "Why don't we… watch a movie or something," I suggested.

"Sure, which one?" he asked eagerly. I had to smile at his childish happiness.

"Titanic?"

"Yeah, you said I had to see that, so why not," he agreed.

"I'll just go get it, then," I told him. I moved away from him, already feeling a bit sad with the distance between us. I managed to control my thoughts better when I was with Embry. Make sense of them, whenever I was alone they overwhelmed me completely. I was in over my head in this, I realized with a lump in my throat.

As I skipped down the steps in the stairs I wondered why _I_ was caught up in the middle of this. I was the worst person I knew when it came to dealing with new things, accepting stuff. I never believed in ghosts, not even as a kid. Monsters under the bed didn't exist. I didn't even get scared while I watched horror movies, because I was so down-to-earth that every part of me knew it wasn't real.

So how was I supposed to even believe in this? Of course, I kind of had to. I couldn't deny it, and it made me feel helpless, kind of tricked, too.

I knocked Melissa's door weakly.

"Come in," she said lightly. She had changed drastically since I got here. I wasn't sure why, but I was kind of happy for her anyway. She was now lying on top of her covers with her iPod and a book.

"Can I borrow Titanic?" I asked her. She nodded, throwing me the cover that for some reason was on her bed. "Thanks," I mumbled, escaping before she could start asking questions or whatever.

I picked up Embry in my bedroom (not _picked up_ like that, more like stuck my head through the door and told him to come with me), and lead him to the one room I hadn't spent one full hour in ever since I got here. It had a worn sofa, a TV and a DVD-player. No one used this room; Melissa had her own, Paul didn't live here and Horton… well, he was busy dating people.

So everything was pretty dusty and dirty as I put the disc into its place. I grimaced, but didn't complain. What was the point, I mean, it wasn't the end of the world. I was aware that my opinion might have been different if this was last week, but it wasn't.

I sat down next to Embry, unconsciously putting a few inches of space between us. He mumbled something I didn't hear and pulled me closer by linking his finger through my belt loop. I looked at him and giggled.

"What?" he asked with a smile.

"That was original," I complimented.

"You look surprised," he mocked.

"I am. Didn't think you had it in you," I teased back. I liked this. It wasn't different. Perhaps Embry was right. Maybe nothing had to change.

But as soon as we both started watching the movie instead of talking I felt it come creeping back; the confusion, the fright, the put out feeling of being held in ignorance. Not resentment, only confusion.

I started feeling panicked by my thoughts and instinctively searched for comfort in Embry's arms. I clung to his side, and he responded by putting his arm around me. That made me feel just the way I wanted and needed to feel: small and protected.

He looped his arm under my knees and in one swift move placed me on his lap. I smiled in contentment, already calming down.

"You okay?" Embry asked, seeming to sense my change of mood.

"Yes," I replied, letting the giddiness color my tone. He chuckled, tightening his arms, making me let out a happy sigh.

"You sound like it, too," he commented.

"Shut up and watch Titanic," I muttered.

* * *

**Kind of depressing chapter, and I can't say it will get better in the next chapter(s). **

**And I'm trying to find out how to give this story a happy ending. She has to leave again, she has school back home and stuff. **

**I should have thought of that before. **

**I guess I'll find out. **

**Okay, I'm.. shocked. No, I'm insulted. **

**TWO reviews!? **

**I mean, fifteen, great, ten, okay, five, can live with it, but TWO? **

**Okay, I don't blame you. I'm having some trouble with this site here with me, and someone PM-ed me saying that the review-thing wasn't working. So, maybe it's not just me. Plus, today I got three mails with new reviews, but they didn't show when I logged on here. I couldn't answer then, so cklovewinter (is that how to spell the name? I can't remember exactly, and I'm too lazy to check it..) I got your reviews, and did you ever get to chapter 19? Thanks for all the reviews, btw, and yes, I was wondering where you were. I was like 'where's my reviews!?', but I'm a forgiving person XD**

**Anyway, I'm gonna go start the next chapter. So... yeah. Review if you can, or PM if you want. Would be nice.**


	21. We'll never feel bad anymore

**I don't own Twilight.**

* * *

It had been five days.

My head was still spinning.

I still felt like I was on my way off the edge of a cliff every time Embry wasn't either holding me or talking to me.

It was ridiculous. I was turning into a clingy, annoying girlfriend-type of girl. By Wednesday I realized it had to stop. I tried keeping away from him from then, but it was hard. I _wanted_ to be with him, and I needed it too.

As I tried to shield myself from my own thoughts I also became totally unsocial. I couldn't talk to another person without seeming completely out of it, I needed all of my focus on _not_ thinking about the unmentionable thing. Yes, wolves and vampires and that kind of stuff.

At the same time dad was bugging me about coming with him and Stephen. During dinner Friday I cracked.

"I know you would just have _loved_ that restaurant, Maddy. It's made for you, and the service is just –"

"Fine!" I exclaimed. "I'll come with you, okay?"

Everyone stared at me. Melissa's mouth fell open and the gross-looking pasta fell out of it. I looked away to avoid puking all over the table. Horton looked confused, as always, and Stephen couldn't care less. Dad was staring wide-eyed at me, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"You… you are?" he stuttered stupidly.

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Wow, that's… that's great, Maddy," he said, disbelievingly. I nodded with grit teeth. I hadn't thought this through, but… it might be a good idea. Maybe I needed to be forced out of this stupid… daze. This way I couldn't be tempted to run back to Embry every time it felt too confusing. "Well… where do you want to go?"

"Doesn't matter," I mumbled.

"We could drive back to New York. I mean, we have all summer, it'll be a nice –"

"We don't have all summer," I quickly interrupted him before he could get ahead of himself. Dad's eyed got a little sad, but he rearranged his expression quickly.

"How long do you want to go, then?"

I thought quickly. "A week."

That's what we decided. I finished my dinner as fast as I could, attempting to escape to my room before anyone could talk sense into me. Melissa caught up to me before I even reached the stairs. She grasped my arm hard, digging her nails in on purpose.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded in a hiss.

"I'm going on a vacation with my dad," I defended weakly. It wouldn't convince anyone, I already knew that. Everyone was pretty much aware of how much I disliked my dad.

"You are _totally_ making too big a scene of this. Get over it, Maia!" she said furiously.

"Get _over _it!" I hissed back. "It's not _that_ easy."

"It _is_, if you'd just try. You're completely over thinking this."

"Am not," I argued childishly.

"Yes, you are. I understand you're shocked and stuff, but _come on_. Do you have _any_ idea what this will do to Embry?" Ah. Her trump card. But I already had my answer ready.

"He won't die. He'll be fine. It's only for a week."

"Maia," she said unhappily. "Why do you have to be like this? You're never like this. You're like… the cool one. You don't do stupid things like this."

"It's not stupid, it's the only reasonable thing I can do. I _am_ going to get over it, I just have to do it _my_ way, okay?" I tried convincing her, getting her inside my head for a moment. It didn't work. She groaned loudly.

"What do I have to do, tie you to the kitchen chair?" she asked angrily. "Because I _will _do it. If Embry's down, it means the whole pack will be affected and –"

"No, it'll be fine. I'll tell him, and… and he'll be fine," I told her, hating that I was stuttering. It would sound so much more certain if I'd managed to keep my voice firm and clear. But no.

"Get over yourself! This is ridiculous, it won't solve _anything_!"

"Wait and see," I told her back, yanking my arm out of her hand. It was really starting to hurt. I didn't wait for her to answer before I took the stairs in four long strides, going for my room. I picked up my iPod from the floor as I slammed the door closed. I flung myself over my bed, sticking the plugs into my ears and put on my favorite song.

Island in the Sun by Weezer filled my mind. I loved this song. It always helped me to forget things, and I'd been listening to in constantly the last few days.

_'We'll never feel bad anymore_.'

* * *

**This is a new record of 'short' for me. I'm sure I've written Author's notes longer than this chapter. **

**Okay, I got 19 reviews for last chapter, and I'm so happy! **

**A lot of you told me that the alert-thing didn't work for chapter 19, so if any of you got a bit confused with chapter 20, are you sure you read 19? If you didn't, I think you should. It's not weird many got confused. LOL. **

**Okay, so I just posted this chapter because I wanted to tell all my reviewers this: I LOVE YOU ALL! You make me SO happy with your reviews! **

**I've decided to stop obsessing about how many reviews I get. Seriously. I'll be happy with the ones I do get. **

**Anonymous reviews:**

**twelevepastnoon: Her dad isn't gone, I just didn't mention him the last chapter. He's still there, I'm not done with him yet ;P**

**tj: There, I threw in another chappie!! Thanks for reviewing! **

**Both of you: I strongly advice you to get an account.**


	22. Empty

****

Longer chapter this time. I don't own Twilight.

* * *

Embry came visiting Saturday, as I expected, just as I pushed the last of my books on top of my bag. He was grinning widely, as he always did, though it had been an uncertain grin lately. He never knew how much I'd gotten over _it_ yet, so he was always careful.

Boy, this was gonna shock him.

He noticed the bag on my floor, fully packed with my stuff. His smile faded instantly, replaced by worry.

"Where are you going?" he asked me.

I got up, walking backwards till my knees hit the edge of my bed. I sat down and motioned for him to do the same. He did, walking slowly over to me. He sat down on the bed. I felt it squeak a little, but figured it would just have to hold.

"I'm leaving with my dad," I said quickly. Better to just get it out. Lingering never helped anyone.

"Leaving?" he asked, looking at me like he didn't really understand.

"Just for a week," I hurried to reassure him.

"But… where are you going?" he asked me, his voice barely a whisper. I never before thought just the sound of someone's voice, the look on their face, could actually break your heart. Now I wasn't so sure. It hurt pretty badly, if it wasn't broken, at least it was hurt.

"I want to spend some quality time with my dad," I lied, hopefully smoothly. If I said I needed to get over he-knew-what, he would just blame it on himself.

"Do you?" he asked me unsurely. Not convinced. As I knew he wouldn't be.

"Yes. I need to fix things between us. It's stupid to keep being angry with him, he… he never meant to hurt me," I finished quickly. I was usually a good liar. I always kept calm, but Embry seemed to see right through me. Not just that, but under his searching gaze I felt more like throwing myself in his arms and refuse to move.

But that was ridiculous. It wasn't the end of the world, it was just for a week. And after that things would go back to normal.

"I don't want you to go," Embry mumbled childishly.

"It will be fine, it's just for a week," I repeated, smiling. He reached out, grabbing a hold of my hand. He squeezed it tightly.

"A whole _week_?" he asked me, looking like a helpless puppy. He always did that when something he didn't want to happen happened.

"Seven days, Embry. You'll be fine, and after that I'll come back and we can –"

"I don't want to wait seven days," he complained, tightening his grip on my hand. I subtly tried prying it free, but he didn't even seem to notice. Werewolf-strength. Right.

"You have to, you can't just abandon your duties," I said with a teasing smile. "I'll be back before you even notice –"

"You won't, it hurts even when you look away, how I'm I supposed to live without you for a _week_," he moaned, starting to pull me closer by my hand. I resisted, and succeeded just because he wasn't using all his strength.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's _just_ a week, Embry," I said a little harsher. "And you'll live, you said it yourself."

"But –"

"Stop that," I cut him off, tugging my hand hard. He didn't let go, instead he yanked me abruptly to himself, catching me so I didn't fall face-first into his chest. He positioned me on his lap, slinging his arms around me tightly.

I was suddenly reminded on how Melissa had threatened to tie me to the kitchen chair and wondered if Embry would try keeping me here by force.

No, he wouldn't do that.

That would be a complete overreaction. It was just a week, nothing to die over.

"Embry –" I started protesting, but he interrupted me.

"I'll really miss you," he told me sincerely.

"It's just a week, Embry. No one is dying," I said reassuringly. A small part of me, the rational part of me, told me that I should start preparing him for the _long _leave. I was still going to have to leave at the end of summer, and I really should tell him that now. He didn't really seem to know, or to think about it, or he had just blocked it out.

But he was already completely defenseless, almost broken right now. And it was just for a week. That imprinting thing was really heavy stuff.

"When are you leaving?" he asked me straight into my ear. He was whispering, so it wasn't uncomfortable, just surprising to hear him so near.

"Tomorrow morning," I informed him.

"Can I stay here till then?" he asked in a voice so thin that I couldn't deny him it.

"Yeah," I replied, feeling him tighten his arms.

We stayed in that position pretty much all day. We watched a movie, but he didn't even let go of me when I picked out one in Melissa's room or when I put it on. It was completely ridiculous and I wouldn't have allowed it if I didn't want it so bad, too.

I convinced him to pretend to leave when I went to bed. That way dad wouldn't come checking on me every minute of the night. He was gay, but he was still my dad. Could be protective.

So he reluctantly left the house, walking out the door, just to come climbing back in my window. He jumped in elegantly, eyening the bed doubtfully.

"We can move the mattress to the floor," I suggested. We did… no, _he_ did, with me on top of it. I giggled as he sat me down, and he beamed at my laughter.

He joined me on the floor, automatically pulling me to his chest. The way he did it was a bit possessive, but I didn't try to free myself. I just stayed there, motionless.

"You're leaving because of me, right?" Embry asked me, whispering into my ear. I bit my lip, wondering what to say. I didn't think it was even worth trying to lie about wanting to spend time with dad.

"Not because of you," I mumbled back. "Because of me."

"That's the same," he noted, but I shook my head.

"Not really."

"You're leaving because you don't want to be with me."

I pulled back, trying to look at him. I couldn't make out his face in the dark, but he could probably see me, and I hoped he could see the angry frown on my face.

"No, I'm not," I told him angrily, moving my arm to support me by putting my elbow onto the mattress. "I want to be with you," I assured him, and as I said that I felt his arms tighten a little, putting me slightly out of balance. I wasn't sure what he meant by that, if it was because he believed me or because he was willing me to stay. "I'm leaving to get a better view of things. So that I _can_ be with you."

"It doesn't make sense," he muttered from the dark in front of me.

"Stop doing that, the only person saying I don't want to be with you is you!"

"Because it's true –"

"You're doing it again!" I hissed. "Stop that, I mean it when I say that I _do_ want to be with you. Really. I'm just…" I trailed off.

"You're what?" he urged.

"Confused."

He pulled me back down, cradling me to his chest. I closed my eyes and smiled faintly. I could like this.

"You don't have to leave, we can sort it out here. I can help you."

"Yes," I mumbled. I could almost feel the happiness radiate from him when I said that, and hurriedly added: "But I'm still going."

His body sunk in disappointment.

"Why?"

"I still think it would help. Don't be sad, it's only for a week, it's not worth crying for."

"I'm not crying," he cut me off quickly. I snorted. Guys and their pride.

"Sure. Also, I think I really should make things better with my dad."

"You don't think that," he disagreed, and I giggled.

"No, I don't, but I _should_ think that," I corrected myself. If he smiled I wouldn't know, but I didn't think he was.

"But –"

"Stop doing that, I've made up my mind, okay?" I interrupted him softly. "It's not the end of the world. I'm not leaving you."

He didn't seem convinced, but he stopped talking. I felt his fingers lightly on my back, making random patterns. It had a calming effect on me.

He seemed to be certain that I didn't want to be with him. Why would he be that, when I wasn't even sure myself? I mean, he probably had better control of his mind than me, but still, it was a pretty rough turn.

I _had_ said that I loved him that time, right? It wasn't because of _him_ I was leaving.

… right?

* * *

Eventually I must have fallen asleep, because the next time I opened my eyes it was light. I squinted and then I rubbed my eyes.

I suddenly became aware of the iron bar that was draped over my stomach, keeping me pinned to the mattress. I looked down and realized it was just Embry's arm. I followed it with my eyes until I found his face.

He was still asleep. His features were relaxed and calm, making him look small and puppy-like. I smiled weakly, wanting to touch his face. I couldn't, though, since my arm was stuck under his.

"Embry," I whispered. He didn't react. Heavy sleeper, obviously. I bit my lip as I kept staring at him. Right now nothing seemed real. Nothing but what I could see. His 'secret' didn't exist and we were just normal teenagers.

I wished it was like that. Everything was just confusing the way it was. I really wished we could go back in time to when he couldn't make himself tell me, it was so much easier. I should just have stayed inside that day, and then I wouldn't have met William and I wouldn't have made Embry tell me.

He was right, I wasn't ready for it.

I never would have been, anyway, but I sort of wished he'd just kept that secret. It was like that song mum liked: _If the truth was inside of a forest and nobody hears it, it won't affect anybody 'cause no one will miss it_. Of course, that song was about a guy cheating on a girl, not something like this, but still.

I felt Embry starting to wake. His arms loosened a little, like he struggled to remember what he was holding on to, but then his eyes popped open. He smiled happily when he saw me and pulled me – if possible – even closer to him. I smiled back.

"Sleep well?" I asked him quietly. He nodded.

"Did you?"

"Yes."

"Do you still have to leave –"

"_Yes_," I cut him off, watching the small glimmer of hope die quickly on his face.

"But what if –"

"No."

"You didn't even hear what I was going to say!" he protested.

"Fine, what?"

He didn't say anything, just looked at me smiling. I frowned but he didn't speak.

"You didn't have anything to say, did you?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Dork," I mumbled. "Maybe you should officially arrive," I suggested before he could defend himself from my insult.

"Right now?" he asked, his arms tightening.

"_Yes_, right now. I think we overslept," I told him.

"Five more minutes," he whined, dragging me all the way into his chest. He put his cheek on the top of my head, and I relaxed by him.

"Fine, but if dad comes in, _you_ have to come up with an explanation," I mumbled.

"Sure." He brushed it off easily, talking into my hair.

About ten minutes later I figured I had to get up. I pushed away from Embry, who reluctantly let me go. He stared at me as I found my clothes for the day. I stared back, waiting for him to go.

"I'll just go to the bathroom then," I mumbled when I couldn't snap him out of his daze. He didn't answer and looked after me as I left the room.

I finished quickly in the bathroom, skipping make up since I was just going to sit in a car all day. I dressed comfortably, too, in sweat pants and a simple, white top. When I got back to the room, Embry hadn't moved an inch. He smiled when his eyes caught mine and instantly pulled me into his arms.

If he couldn't even handle being away from me for five minutes...

"Why don't you wait here for ten minutes while I go downstairs, and then you can come back in the door?" I suggested. He made an unhappy sound. "You can do it," I said with a smile, leaning away.

He didn't try to hold me back when I left the room again, and I wondered if he'd actually stay there for those ten minutes. I half expected him to burst through the front door before I even reached the bottom of the stairs, but luckily he didn't.

I found dad in the kitchen, looking awake and extraordinary happy.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" he asked me cheerily as I bumped down on a chair.

"Fine," I replied nicely.

I had almost gotten used to acting human towards him. Almost.

"I think we'll take off in one and a half hour," dad informed me.

"Oh, okay."

"Want some coffee?"

"Sure."

I _could_ be nice to him, if I really tried. I probably shouldn't try to make longer sentences yet, just to be on the safe side I should stick with one word at a time.

Dad poured coffee in a cup for me, gently putting it down in front of me. I thanked him automatically.

"Stephen isn't up yet. He likes to sleep in," he continued. The devotion in his voice made me sick in my stomach, but I just smiled genuinely over my cup.

"Embry is coming over soon. He wanted to say good bye when we left."

"Oh, that'll be nice," dad smiled. His eyes twinkled a little, and his smile kind of resembled a smirk.

"You –" I started, but cut myself of, narrowing my eyes suspiciously at him. His smirk grew wider, and I wondered if it was safe to ask. "You didn't happen to check into my room any time tonight, did you?" I asked him carefully.

"Just to see if you were asleep," dad confirmed.

"So..."

"Yeah, I know he stayed the night."

Seriously. There were no secrets in this house. None. Nada.

"And you're okay with that because?"

"Because you're young and in love," he told me with a faint smile. "I trust you, Madeline, I know you're a reasonable kid. You wouldn't do anything I wouldn't."

I just stared at him. My mouth even fell open for a few seconds, but I quickly collected myself.

"I think I just started to like you a lot more," I blurted out, dazed. I frowned. "Mum would freak if she knew."

"As you probably already know, me and your mother is two very different people," dad said, his eyes getting a little sad. I instinctively smiled sadly back.

"Yeah, I guess," I answered. I turned to look out the kitchen door, waiting to see if Embry came. He would probably hear us from upstairs. But, of course, he couldn't play on that, because dad didn't know he could, and…

Gah!

"Embry, you can come down now!" I yelled. Seconds later we heard footsteps in the stairs, and Embry arrived in the kitchen. He sent dad a sheepish smile as he sat down beside me.

It suddenly hit me that this wasn't such a good idea. I did _not_ want an awkward conversation between dad and Embry where I would be the main subject of their talk. So I quickly cleared my throat.

"I…" That's where I got stuck of course. I panicked, trying to find something to say, and ended up with the weather. "It's sunny today," I said cheerily, smiling widely. I got strange looks from both of them, so I looked away. "Perfect weather for driving. I mean, it's not, of course, because it's so boring to sit in a car when the sun's out, but it's better than rain. Dad, did you know it rains here all the time? It's like it never stops. It's funny, when we were kids we always talked about how it was raining every time the angels cried, and if that's true the local angels cry a _lot –_"

"So, um, Stephen's parents are expecting us by six o'clock, so I guess I have to go wake him now, to keep us on schedule," dad cut me off. He sent me a weird smile as he got up, leaving his cup. I let out a quiet sigh of relief after he left the kitchen.

"You're so weird," Embry mumbled at me. He moved his chair closer to mine, putting his arm around my shoulder and pulling me close.

"It was an emergency," I defended in a sullen voice. I glanced up at him, and he gave me a small, sad smile.

"Do you really have to –"

"Yes, I really have to leave," I cut him off, annoyed. Couldn't he just accept it and get over it? It was just for a week. He was overdramatizing it completely.

"I'll really miss you," he told me sincerely.

"Yeah, you already said that," I replied. Then I hurriedly added: "I'll miss you too."

He still looked at me like he didn't believe me. I was getting tired of that. I knew what I was doing, I was going to leave, sort out things in my head, and come back and spend four more nice weeks with Embry.

That was my plan.

But I wasn't _sure_ I would get over it. What if I came back, and everything was still weird and confusing? What should I do then? Pretend it was okay? I mean, I couldn't exactly come back and say 'hey, it didn't work after all, I think I'm going home. Nice meeting you. Bye.'

It was almost a funny thought.

"You're thinking again," he noted.

I nodded. It wasn't a crime, right?

I heard dad enter the kitchen again, and I automatically dragged myself away from Embry. Or, attempted to, but he held me back. I looked for dad's face to see his expression. He smiled faintly at us, but didn't say anything else.

How weird.

"Did you finish packing?" dad asked me casually.

"Yes," I replied warily.

"That's great. I guess we're all set, then," dad said happily. I suddenly felt Embry's arms tighten around me, almost desperately.

"Are we leaving _now_?" I asked dad, moving uncomfortably.

"No, no, Stephen needs at least an hour," dad assured me, and Embry's arms loosened again.

_Relax_, I wanted to tell him. It was like he was never going to see me again.

We stayed in the kitchen, chatting with dad until Stephen came in. I could feel Embry getting desperate again, and wondered how far he would go to keep me here. Melissa's words rang in my head again.

I freed myself from him arms.

"I'll go get my bag and stuff," I told them. Embry was right behind me as I walked up the stairs and into the room. He wrenched my bag off the floor before I got it.

"Please don't leave me," Embry pleaded desperately.

"I'm not leaving you," I reminded him again. "I've told a million times, I'll be back in a week."

"But –"

"No buts," I cut him off. I didn't want to hear this anymore, it was getting old. I _was_ leaving. "Let's go back down," I almost hissed, and started to walk past him. Faster than I could comprehend I was jerked back and off my feet, and Embry's lips were on mine. I stiffened in surprise first, automatically leaning my head away.

Then I responded to the kiss. Or, I tried, but then I hit a wall. Not literally a wall, but a mental wall. I didn't manage to throw myself completely into it, like I usually did, something was holding me back. I willed myself to get it right, hoping that maybe if I did, leaving would be unnecessary.

I sneaked my arms up around his neck, hoisting myself closer, holding some of my own weight. Embry mumbled something into my lips, but I couldn't make out what it was. I was busy trying to _make_ myself enjoy this.

Eventually he pulled me away, gently putting me to my feet. I was suddenly aware of the moisture in my eyes. I had obviously pressed them out in the middle of my desperate fight with the wall. I quickly wiped them away.

"You're different," Embry said in a low, disappointed voice. I looked at him and felt a lump grow in my throat.

"I'm sorry," I whispered back, feeling almost ashamed.

None of us said anything. I felt it was hard to look at him, so I looked at my feet instead. It was a long ten minutes, but I didn't know what I could say or do to make it better.

"Maddy! You coming?" dad called from downstairs. My head snapped up, finding Embry's eyes. He looked at me with an inscrutable expression, lost for words, lost for emotions.

"I have to go," I told him, my voice dry and my throat hollow. I reached for my bag and slipped it out of his hand. That seemed to wake him, and he took it back, putting a hand on the back of my shoulder. He steered me out, pushing me in front of him so I couldn't look at his face.

"Ready to go, honey?" dad asked me happily when we got down. He was completely oblivious to my red and puffy face and Embry's empty expression.

"Yes," I answered. Horton was up now, too, and he smiled lightly at me. Melissa was standing by the door. Her mouth was pursed and she was glaring at me. Angry, obviously. Still, she put her arms around me firmly, hugging me hard to her. I hugged back.

"See you in a week," I smiled weakly as I pulled back.

"Yeah," she replied lightly, but shot me a dark look saying 'you'd better'. "Rachel says 'see you'. She couldn't make it here, she had to work," she added.

"Oh. Okay."

"Are we leaving?" Stephen asked impatiently from outside. Dad chuckled and walked past me.

"Yes, we are," he assured him. I looked away as dad made his way over to Stephen, just in case they decided to kiss or something. I wasn't used to _that_ yet.

I felt Embry right behind me as I walked to the car. I turned to look at him when I stopped in front of my door.

"I'll see you in a week," I mumbled in a thin voice. He nodded slowly, still unconvinced, and bent down. His arms wrapped around me in a brief, warm hug, and then he straightened up abruptly.

I ignored the feeling of rejection and smiled again as I opened the car-door. Stephen was already inside, and dad was putting my bag into the back of the car.

I sat in, but left the door open, so that I could talk to Embry until we had to go.

"Do you want me to call you when I get there? I could probably borrow someone's phone."

"If you want to," he said flatly. I felt my eyes widen a little. My mouth fell open, and I tried to say something, but it got caught in my throat. I closed it again.

Dad walked around the car and into his seat, closing the door after him.

"Okay. We'll talk later, then," I said to Embry. He nodded, still expressionless. With a lump in my throat I slammed the door closed. I watched after Embry as dad pulled out of the drive-way, seeing him look at me, too.

I waved my hand a little, hopeful. He hesitantly waved back, but that was all I saw before he was out of sight, hidden behind the other houses we drove past.

I slumped back in my seat.

I felt empty.

* * *

**Yeah. I don't like this chapter. ****Not at all, actually. ****But it's as good as it'll get. **

**If anyone wondered, the song she thinks about is 'You should have lied' by Stephanie McIntosh. It's actually a really pretty song, kind of sad, but still. **

**I'm sorry I haven't answered many of your reviews this time. I did some of them, but this computer is ready to retire, it's so slow it shouldn't even be legal. But I wanted to answer some of them: **

**Swimming cutie xoxo: That has to one of the sweetest reviews I've ever gotten! Thank you so incredibly much, it made me so happy to read those things! Thank you, thank you, thank you! **

**carter: Thanks for all of your reviews, they're really nice! If I'm gonna email you, I need your address, though. **

**TJ: As you probably can see, the being-away-from-each other won't work. He he. **

**As for everyone else, I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood for answering reviews today. I'm sorry, I promise to be better next time! I still love you guys!**


	23. Unnamed

**I did not write Twilight. I mean, if I did, would I be _wasting_ my time here? Didn't think so.**

* * *

It started raining two hours later. I was happy about that. It was much more suiting to watch the rain while I felt sorry for myself than watching the lovely sun taunt me and make fun of me. I was listening to the saddest songs I had on my iPod. I had tried, at first, to listen to happy songs, to maybe will myself to get over it, but it hadn't worked. Sad songs were so much better.

Dad stopped trying to talk to me five minutes into the trip. Stephen started snoring unattractively ten minutes later, making me dislike him even more.

I had my elbow leaned onto the bottom of my window and my head slumped heavily in my hand. My face was frozen and expressionless. I was too confused, too overwhelmed by my feelings to know which one I should let show on my face. Therefore I chose none of them.

Suddenly dad pulled the car sharply to the left, and I looked up. Stephen was shook roughly awake, jumping up like something had bit him.

"What are we doing?" I asked flatly, pulling the plugs out of my ears.

"This is the restaurant I told you about, we stopped here on the way when we came, too," dad told me. I remembered he'd said something about a restaurant, so I just made a confirming sound.

Three minutes later we were seated and staring mindlessly at one menu each. Dad and Stephen quickly decided to order something weird they could share while I pointed to something random. I didn't care enough to check what it was, but the surprised looks I got from dad and the waitress told me it wasn't something they expected me to like.

"Only three hours left," dad announced happily as he handed our menus to the pretty waitress. That earned him unhappy glances from both me and Stephen, and dad chuckled. "Come on, cheer up! We'll have fun. We can listen to some music, play some fun games…" I stopped listening. Didn't sound very interesting to me.

When the food finally arrived, I couldn't identify what was on my plate. I hesitantly had a taste and found that it reminded me of something… paper. It tasted just like paper.

I ate it all with no complain.

Three long, boring hours later with lots of snoring, dad's crappy songs and my own sappy music, we finally came to a stop outside an oversized, white, illegally clean-looking house.

"Isn't this nice, Maddy?" dad asked me, still in this really happy tone. I just nodded. I got out of the car, and the front door to the house opened. I watched as an older couple eagerly ran out towards us. Or, towards Stephen, but that was only natural, seeing that they apparantly were his parents.

They both hugged him saying mushy-gushy stuff that I wasn't in the mood to listen to. Instead I made my way to the back of the car, hauling my bag out. It was heavier than I'd thought. Weird, I didn't think clothes and my books would weigh so much.

Dad threw me an encouraging smile and went to hug Stephen's parents, too.

"Harriet, Leonard, it's so nice to see you again," he said in a false voice. I frowned. Didn't he like them? It seemed like he was acting. "I'd like you to meet my daughter. This is Madeline," he said as he pulled back, waving for me to come closer. I pulled my bag with me, forcing a smile at Harriet and Leonard.

They looked like a nice couple. I could see they were probably sixty-something, but they looked younger in some way. Harriet had long, grey and thick hair pulled it back in a knot in her neck. She was really skinny, and was wearing clothes three sizes too big in dark, but still kind of suiting colors.

Leonard was also pretty thin, he had a wrinkled face and small, round glasses on his nose. His hair was grey and thin and he was even bald some places. He had faded jeans and a t-shirt with a picture of Garfield. I smiled at the that.

"Hi, sweetie," Harriet said in a voice so warm and nice it was sickening. She smiled so wide I was sure the corners of her mouth would stick out outside her face. I sincerely hoped she wasn't going to be so happy all the time. I couldn't handle sunshine-people.

"Hey," I mumbled in response, avoiding eye-contact.

After some awkward chatting they ushered us in. It was apparently very urgent for us to get into the kitchen, because dinner was ready, and we _had to eat_. I smiled politely as I ate another paper-tasting meal. After that Harriet became my savior as she said:

"You must be tired, honey, I'll show you your room."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," I replied quickly, before anyone could destroy this chance for me.

I dragged my bag with me up two sets of stairs. Harriet showed me to a very big bedroom that had its own bathroom and a phone. The phone made me depressed. Brought back miserable memories. I looked away from it, pretending not to have seen it.

"Do you think this will be okay?" Harriet asked me kindly.

"Yeah, it's great," I replied tiredly, smiling at the older woman.

"Wonderful," she smiled. "Let me know if there's something else you need, okay?"

"Sure."

"Okay, honey. Sleep well," she added warmly before she left me alone.

I collapsed on the oversized bed and let myself drown in my own thoughts.

I didn't get why Embry had acted like that in the end. It was like he had given up completely on me. Had he thought I absolutely didn't want him when the kiss didn't go the way he'd expected? And then decided he didn't want to fight for me anymore?

No, he couldn't do that.

I though the imprinting-thing was supposed to make him love me forever. I'd kind of expected that, thought that whatever I did he _would_ love me. But what if he stopped loving me?

I didn't want that.

Though it might have been easier...

No, I didn't want that.

I groaned as loud as I could, like I thought that would erase all the stupid confusion. It didn't, of course, and I only ended up feeling even emptier.

Needless to say I didn't sleep much that night. I kept searching my room, over and over again, like I expected Embry to suddenly appear in a corner. He didn't. And I felt pathetic for wanting him to.

I also kept trying to make sense out of his behavior. I could hear his flat, uncaring voice when he'd said 'If you want to' when I asked if he wanted me to call. It replayed itself again and again in my head. I had asked if _he_ wanted me to. Not if I was allowed.

What was he thinking? What was going on in that marvelous head of his?

I tossed and turned in the huge bed for hours before deciding I needed a shower.

The warm water was a poor substitution for Embry's warm body-temperature. I slammed my head in the wall when I thought this.

_Stop thinking about Embry_! I scolded myself as I held my hand over the hurt area of my head. I grimaced, feeling for blood. Thinking about him definitely didn't do anything good.

I wasn't supposed to be thinking about him. I was supposed to be thinking about _everything_. The pack. The _werewolf_ pack. The words felt wrong, even in my head. Unnatural. Unreal.

No blood in my hair, but it would definitely be sore. I quickly dried off, getting dressed in my pajamas again. I didn't want to go back to the bed. It was too big, made me feel smaller than I was. Made me feel like something was missing, which it was.

So instead I sunk down to the comfy rocking chair by the big window. I curled up in it, and it was way too small for me. Made me feel shrunken and meaningless, but that was the way I wanted to feel, so it was okay.

That's where I drifted into a restless, nightmarish sleep.

* * *

"Madeline? Honey, are you awake?" a soft voice asked. I clenched my eyes more shut. I didn't want to open them, see the light, see the world. I wanted to sleep forever. "Honey, it's the middle of the day. Aren't you hungry?"

"No," I mumbled tiredly.

"Oh, you _are_ awake," the voice said smugly, and I opened one eye to see who it was.

Harriet was standing over me, grinning kindly down at me. I was still in the rocking chair. My limbs and muscles were sore, I could feel that already. I needed another shower.

Speaking of showers, since I'd gone to sleep with wet hair, it was probably a mess now. I groaned, knowing I would look like a frightening monster once I lifted my head.

"Are you okay, honey? You look a little tired," Harriet said gently.

"I'm fine," I grumbled, starting to sit up. My left shoulder hurt the most, because that was the one I'd been lying on.

"Want some breakfast? I saved you some pancakes," Harriet continued.

"I'll just have a shower first," I replied.

"You could go for a swim in the pool if you'd like, too. It's really nice. Leonard does it every morning," she tried to convince me.

"Ah, no, I don't want to," I said, hoping she would leave soon.

"Okay, maybe later then," she agreed. I watched her leave and waited till she had closed the door before I went to my own personal bathroom. I had a _long_ shower, and then I walked down the two sets of stairs and found the kitchen.

"There you are, sweetie," Harriet cooed as I walked through the door. I was about to stop, wanting to go back up, but the smell of coffee stopped me.

"Hi," I said instead, walking to the table. Harriet immediately got up, running around in the kitchen to get me everything. I didn't try to stop her. I didn't mind being babied today. Or the rest of the week, for that matter.

"So. What do you want to do today? The pool?" Harriet asked as she handed me a cup of coffee. "Or maybe a walk? There are some really nice hiking paths here somewhere. Leonard talks about them all the time, but I never get around to go see for myself," she told me with a short laugh. "Pancakes?"

"Yes, please."

"Here you go. Or perhaps you want to go shopping? Karen next door is your age, she's a real cutie. I'm sure she would show you around town if you'd like."

"Yeah."

"She usually brings us our morning paper; I'll introduce you to her then. I think you'll like her."

"Sure."

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Harriet noted with a chuckle.

"I'm just tired."

"Oh. Well, enjoy your breakfast, I'll go see where your dad and Stephen went," she said with another endearing laugh, and disappeared out of the kitchen. I scowled after her as I stuffed my mouth full with cold pancakes.

That's when I noticed the phone.

I stopped chewing and stared at it hungrily.

I had ignored the phone in my room last night. I had been good. But now that the temptation was in front of me again, I wasn't sure I could handle it. With a paranoid glance around me, like I half expected someone to pop up and take the phone away from me, I hurried over to it.

I paused just before I started dialing Embry's number.

I couldn't do it.

My fingers trembled over the little numbers and I felt my eyes starting to burn. I dragged my hand back to me before I could start crying for real. I'd hit the wall again. I had almost put my fingers on it, touched it.

The wall. Suddenly the scariest words I'd ever heard.

I wasn't even sure just where the wall was. I felt like it was shrinking, slowly getting closer, trapping me in myself.

I knew it was ridiculous. But it was how I felt.

I looked at the phone in my hand, and decided that since I already held it I might as well call _someone_. Without thinking about it I dialed Lena's number. She answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" she said in an uninterested voice.

"Hi, it's me," I told her flatly.

"Mazie!" she exclaimed, as I knew she would. She was tragically predictable, I realized. "I've been trying to reach you for ages. I even called that bitchy cousin of yours. She told me to go to hell," Lena grumbled unhappily. "And she said you left! Where are you!?"

"I'm at dad's husband's parent's house."

There was a small pause. "Why?"

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "Lots of complications. How's Tony?" I asked, not exactly looking forward to hear the answer.

"He's fine, I guess. I'm not that into him anymore, see, there's this guy, and he's here for the summer…"

I listened to Lena's ramble gratefully, happy to be able to soak into her easy life. For a while, at least. But after half an hour we pretty much ran out of things to talk about, and Lena quickly said 'bye' and hung up.

I growled at the phone.

Harriet came rushing in then, beaming at me.

"Everyone is out back by the pool," she told me.

"Oh."

"Don't you want to go out there? The sun is lovely," she smiled as she collected up my plate and cup. I would have told her I could get it, but I wasn't in the mood for doing dishes. Instead I just nodded and walked the way I'd seen her come from.

The pool was bigger than I'd expected. What and old couple needed a pool in their backyard for was beyond my understanding, but they were obviously rich and liked to show it. I eyed the pool with narrowed eyes. I sure wasn't going in _there_.

The pool area was fenced in with huge, wooden planks. It wasn't ugly, but not very pretty either. Harriet and Leonard apparently liked privacy, too.

Dad was sitting by the edge of the pool, looking at Stephen. I wasn't in the mood to even be disgusted by it, so I didn't grimace for once. Instead I walked over to him, sitting down next to him.

Leonard and Stephen was swimming the length of the pool. For what I knew about swimming, they were pretty good. They kind of looked like each other, too, only Leonard's skin was much more wrinkled, old.

"Hey, honey," dad greeted me warmly, taking his eyes of his husband for a moment. "You look tired. Didn't you sleep well?"

"I'm fine," I replied.

"Okay."

We watched father and son swim three more lengths in silence.

"Mum is dating a twenty eight-year old," I informed dad quietly.

"Oh?" dad asked flatly. I could see him tense a little in the corner of my eye.

"I've never met him. But Lena says he looks brain dead."

"How so?"

"She says he has these really empty-looking eyes. And she thinks mum's paying for him."

Dad chuckled shortly. "Paying for him?"

"That's what she said, but I really don't think so. Maybe she's blackmailing him," I suggested dryly, and dad laughed a little. He relaxed, though. He was sitting with his feet in the water, and it actually looked kind of nice.

Dad noticed me looking and smiled widely at me.

"I've missed you, Maddy," he told me sincerely. I looked into his eyes. They were very different from mine. The left one had a clear, ice-blue color and the other one was grey. I used to make fun of him when I was younger, calling him a half-breed. I didn't even know what that word meant.

He never got mad at me, he just laughed at me and tickled me from time to time. I would squeal in delight, banging my small fist at his chest to no avail. I always had a much closer relationship with dad than what I had with mum. It was only the last two years I'd actually gotten to know her, and I couldn't say I really liked what I found.

"I miss how it was before," I replied. Dad didn't answer at once. He seemed to be looking for the right words.

"It can be like that again," he ended up with. I bit my lip and smiled weakly, then I shrugged and looked at Leonard and Stephen again.

I heard a weird, scoffing sound behind me, and turned to look. I froze at what I saw. A tiny little whitish monster with sharp teeth and black holes as eyes was running towards us. I instinctively cringed away from it, feeling my heart slam harder against my chest.

"Peanut," dad mumbled, reaching out to grab the demon before it reached me. 'Peanut' was getting closer, and I dragged myself as far away from the thing as possible – and then I was embraced by cold.

I opened my mouth to scream, but all I saw was bubbles. Cold water entered my nose and mouth, and I tried to breathe in for another scream. The water ran down my throat, suffocating me.

I kicked around to find the surface, but I couldn't find it. Suddenly I felt a hard grip on my upper arm, and I was hoisted up.

Next second I broke through the surface, and my knees connected hard with the floor. I clasped my free hand down on it, too, just to be sure it was there, steady, safe. Something hard hit my back and I coughed. Water splashed over the floor out of my mouth, and I croaked.

"Are you okay?" said a blurry voice. I lifted my head, trying to see who said it. I blinked hard to focus my sight, and groaned in disappointment. The groaning made my throat hurt even more, and I coughed again.

"It's okay, Maddy, you're safe," dad muttered soothingly. I felt the tears start to stream from my eyes. They mixed up with the water from the pool on my cheeks.

Dad pulled me to him when I stopped coughing and croaking, holding his arms around me firmly. I clung to his t-shirt, crying into his chest. It didn't feel right. It wasn't warm enough, not muscular enough, and it was too thin.

"She can't even swim," a nasal voice muttered from somewhere, but I didn't care enough to check who it was. A second later I heard a lighter voice mumble something like:

"Shh," and the sound of a smack.

Dad murmured soothing words in my ear. I sobbed and cried for what felt like hours and I didn't want to move when I was dried out of tears. I wanted someone to hold me, to tell me that it was okay.

I wanted Embry to hold me. He was supposed to be here, he was supposed to protect me.

And for a tiny, wild second I'd though he _was_ here, watching over me, and that _he_ was the one who saved me.

But it was just dad.

Just Eustace.

* * *

**It depresses me to write this stuff. **

**Next chapter will be depressing too, and it depresses me to think about it. **

**But next-next will be happier so... I kind of already wrote that. Haha. **

**I'm just trying to finish this sad stuff quickly, and that means fast updates for you guys, so be happy. **

**Oh, and she can't swim. Maia can't swim. I mentioned it in an earlier chapter, sort of, when they were at the beach, and she said she didn't do water. I'm not sure if anyone noticed it back then, but just to remind you. It wasn't something I came up with just now. It was planned. **

**So. Don't hate the dad. I like him. I got many hateful reviews about him before, but he's actually really nice, just a bit stupid sometimes. A little obvivious to other people's feelings if he isn't really paying attention. **

**And what do you think of Stephen's parents? I tried making them annoyingly happy because I like annoyingly happy people. **

**I _think_ I answered all your reviews for last chapter, but if I forgot someone, just tell me and I'll write a LONG apology as A/N in next chapter ;P**


	24. Selfinflicted misery

**I don't own Twilight, but I do own Maia, and I obviously have this unheatly obsession with making her suffer. **

**Which is why it's only good I don't own Twilight. **

* * *

I stuck my finger into the brown mess, feeling the frosting surround it. I watched it with uninterested eyes, moving it around a little. I pulled my finger back up, studying it.

"That's gross," I faintly heard an annoying voice from behind me. I let out a small sneer but didn't acknowledge it any more.

_Seen better time in yesterday_.

"Maddy, aren't you gonna talk to us?" dad's voice asked gently.

I ignored him, too.

_It's hard to say that everything will be okay_.

My right ear plug was yanked out of my ear just as I heard _I've gone away_, and I glared up at dad. I tried taking it back, but dad dodged my hand.

"Aren't you hungry, honey?" he asked me in a nice voice, but I could see he was annoyed. I'd been like this the last two days. He tried to be understanding. I think he thought I just found it weird to be with him again, but I didn't think much about him in my hours of darkness.

"Sure," I mumbled icily. I put the earplug back in my ear and continued to massacre my piece of cake, ignoring the weird glances I got.

"What are you listening to, anyway?" Stephen's ugly voice said, reaching for my iPod. I dragged it out of his reach and glowered at him. Dad looked at me sternly, so I changed my expression and gave Stephen a stiff and fake smile.

"It's a song by Katy Perry called 'You're so Gay'. Wanna hear? I think you'd like it, you could probably relate to it much better than I can," I told him sweetly. Stephen narrowed his eyes at me, and I widened my smile.

Good days, good days.

"Maddy, try to behave, okay?" dad told me with a dejected expression. I rolled my eyes and nodded slightly. Dad sighed, obviously trying to collect himself. "Tomorrow's your birthday. What do you want to do?" he asked me gently.

_"Sleep, drown in my own self-inflicted misery and then go die." _

I didn't say that. Instead I just shrugged and avoided eye-contact with both of them.

Harriet and Leonard strolled into the kitchen then, both smiling as wide as always. Harriet took a seat next to me. Over the last few days she had sort of gotten the impression that we had some sort of special 'thing' together.

Yeah right.

"How was tennis?" dad asked them with a kind smile.

"It was simply wonderful, though Leonard beat me," Harriet grinned.

"I always beat you," Leonard replied in a way that probably was supposed to sound flirty. I had to keep myself from puking. Harriet leaned over the table to plant a kiss on Leonard's lips, and then they smiled happily at each other.

They were too happy. It was so annoying that I felt more like punching them both hard than to ignore it or accept it. I grimaced subtly, concentrating on my iPod again.

I escaped back to my room as soon as everyone finished eating, mumbling something about being tired. I had only just gotten to my bed when the door burst open again, and I only just stifled a groan.

"What?" I grumbled.

"It's just me, sweetie," said Harriet's voice. I glanced over my shoulder to see her carefully close the door and come over to me. "I just wanted to see if you're okay," she smiled warmly.

"I'm fine," I said flatly.

She ignored me and slumped down at my bed.

"Ah, I remember all about being a teenager," she told me, her eyes getting blurry as she stared emptily into the room. "Ah. I especially remember my first boyfriend. Thought I would love him forever and ever." She sighed at the memory.

I stared blankly at her, waiting for her to get to the point.

"What happened to him?" I asked to get her to hurry.

"He was bit by a dog."

"And…"

"And blamed me. So I dumped him."

I blinked. This was supposed to make me feel better how…?

"Then there was my _second_ boyfriend. He even got me a promise-ring. Oh boy did I freak when he got down on one knee, I thought he was proposing," she laughed, and I forced a chuckle. "But he died when a horse kicked him in the face. Kind of depressing." Yeah. Kind of. "And then there was Greg. I think that lasted for about four days, and then I got tired of him. Oh, and I even got married once, before Leonard," she laughed.

"Oh?" I mumbled.

"Oh yeah. Drunk at a party, woke up the next morning with a wedding ring. Luckily it wasn't legal, and the ring was plastic."

"Oh, great."

"Never got along with him. We didn't even stay friends," she mused. "Later there was Richard, Tim, Organ – yes, that's a name, actually. I cracked up laughing the first time he told me. Lots of guys wanted me back then."

Somehow I found that hard to believe.

"But when I met Leonard, I realized that the others meant nothing. Even though we'd been pretty serious about it back then, said we loved each other and thinking we'd get married someday."

Oh.

I saw where she was going with this.

"My point is, just because it feels like the end of the world right now, doesn't mean you won't get over it."

"What do you mean?" I asked uncertainly.

"I'm saying that, when you get older, you'll realize that this tiny little break-up has no meaning for you happiness later –"

"I haven't broken up with anyone," I objected.

"You haven't?" Harriet asked, taken aback, for once not smiling. The frown looked misplaced on her face. It didn't suit her.

"No."

"But it's about a boy, isn't it? Or, as Stephen said, a 'hot guy'?" And _there_ she smiled again. Darn.

"Yes, but no one broke up."

"Well, then, why are you so down," she asked me, shaking her head and grinning like she thought I was acting stupid. Oh, she should only have known…

"Because it's complicated," I insisted.

Harriet opened her mouth to answer, but then she closed it again. She pursed her lips into a knowing smile and patted my shoulder.

"I'm sure it is," she said, and added an annoying laugh.

Then she finally got up.

"I hope you'll feel better tomorrow, because we're going to play tennis," Harriet said enthusiastically.

"I've never played before," I said sullenly, already wanting to hide underneath my bed all day tomorrow.

"Well, I'll just have to teach you then, don't I, birthday-girl?" she answered, chuckling as she left the room. I waited till the door was closed before I groaned as loud as I could into my pillow.

What a mess.

What a completely messy mess.

I dragged myself of my bed, slumping across my room to my bag. I needed a book. A good one, one with a very _un_complicated plot, so I could relax. A children's book would do, but I doubted I had any of those.

I zipped open the side of my bag, where I knew I'd put the books. I frowned in confusion at what I found. Four DVDs, it seemed, and I dragged them out. On the cover of one of them there was a note, a little light green piece of paper with neat writing.

_Thought you might need something to take your mind off things. _

_- Melissa_

Well, that was… thoughtful. Kind of. And a little weird, but it was Melissa. She never failed to surprise me.

The four movies were Titanic (naturally), One missed call, The Holiday and Die Hard. I studied them all for a while. I'd only seem Titanic. Dad had wanted to watch Die Hard with me once, but I told him it was boring and the guy was ugly and therefore I could not waste my precious time watching it.

I quickly put that aside. Maybe I could watch it with dad another time.

Titanic, too, was put away, since I'd seen it a million times only the past few weeks.

One missed call was a horror movie. A Japanese horror movie. Why would she think I'd watch that? I hated horror movies, they were always crappy. The stories were unrealistic and the characters were badly portrayed.

That left me with The Holiday. I looked at the cover, recognizing the actors: Jude Law, Jack Black, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. I kind of liked them all. Of course, I didn't like Kate Winslet in Titanic, I would gladly switch her with myself, but in any other movie she was okay.

I got up from the floor and over to the TV. It was a flat screen, looked really expensive, too, like everything else in this house. The DVD-player also looked kind of flashy. Which was weird, since DVD-players mostly looked the same.

I found the movie annoying. Cameron Diaz' character was irritatingly complicated. Jude Law's character was weak, though he pretended to be strong. He was a total wimp.

I really enjoyed Kate and Jack's acting, though, I never realized before that those two actually kind of suited each other. And this way, Kate with Jack, I got Leo. In my mind, of course.

_I don't want Leo!_ a stubborn voice shouted at me. I growled, pushing it back, filing it away for later. I wasn't up for another long and meaningless and tearful mourning, yearning for Embry when I wasn't even sure what he wanted.

I kept watching the movie, swearing and yelling at the characters from time to time, as if they could hear me. They never did as I said, of course.

In the end, where Cameron's character Amanda once again decided to leave, I threw my pillow at her.

"Don't be so stupid!" I yelled as the pillow hit her face. The TV-screen swayed dangerously, but stayed up. I sneered at her, continuing to tell her to get back to her guy. It was completely ridiculous for her to act the way she did. A spoiled city-girl, who had everything she could ever want except parents who wasn't divorced, and when she finally gets a chance to be loved she decides to leave and just throw it away and just because it's _complicated_…

Oh. My. God.

That was me.

_I_ was the spoiled city-girl.

_I_ had everything I wanted.

_My_ parents were divorced.

_I'd _had a chance to be loved, unconditionally, completely.

And _I _had thrown it away, making up some sort of stupid excuse. It was too complicated. It confused me. I needed time to think.

I gasped loudly.

How could I have…

I jumped up from my place on my bed just as Amanda Woods started to cry in the cab. I didn't give the TV another glance before I bolted to the door, crashing into it in my hurry. Annoyed I opened it properly and took both the stairs in five long, simple strides.

"Dad!" I yelled hysterically, looking around me frantically. Of course this was the one single moment everyone decided to be out of sight. "Dad!" I almost sneered in impatience. I headed for the kitchen, but there was no one there. The living room… aha!

"Dad!" I exclaimed towards him. Everyone's faces turned towards me, staring startled at my hectic frame.

"What's wrong, Maddy?" dad asked me in a concerned voice.

"Dad, I need to go back!"

"Back?" he asked me, looking as disoriented as always.

"Back! Back to Embry!"

"Back to Embry?" he repeated, like he didn't understand me. I groaned in annoyance. Was it even legal to be so slow?

"_Yes_!" I exclaimed. "I just realized it, I'm Amanda Woods! I have to go back there!"

No one said anything. They stared at me like I was going crazy, exchanging glances. I glared at them one at a time.

"Your name is _Madeline_ Woods," dad corrected me slowly. I hadn't actually noticed that we _did_ have the same last name, and for a wild second I grinned in amusement.

"I know that, but I'm _like_ Amanda. I'm stupid! I have to go back, dad," I tried to convince him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, honey," dad told me uncertainly, looking for support from the others. I groaned loudly again, the impatience growing in me.

"I think I've just made a _huge_ mistake. No, I _know_ I've made the biggest mistake I've ever made! I _need_ to go back and fix it, dad!" I begged.

"Does this have something to do with Embry?"

"Yes! I… love him, and he needs to know it! I think he loves me too," That was an understatement, he imprinted on me, so… "and I have to go back and fix it! Now!"

"Maddy, it's ten o'clock. It's a six hour drive," he pointed out. I did the math in my head. That meant we'd be there... four am.

"It's okay, it doesn't matter," I brushed it off.

"Yes, it does," dad clarified firmly.

"But –"

"Go to sleep, Madeline. We'll discuss this in the morning," he ordered. I hated the way he said it. Commanded me to bed, like I was a naughty five-year-old and not a girl of almost seventeen who had a mind on her own.

With a narrowed-eyed glare at him I whirled around, stalking back to my room. I was already starting to work on a plan.

* * *

I waited till I knew everyone was asleep, safely tucked away in their beds. It was 2 am and I was already getting tired. But that wouldn't hold me back.

I sneaked down the stairs, making myself as light as I managed. Luckily these type of stairs were too new and expensive to be of the squeaky type, so it was easy. The carpet helped a lot, too. I reached the kitchen without a sound, but then I paused.

I should leave a note, just so dad wouldn't worry.

I walked on my tip-toes into the kitchen, looking for something to write on and with. I found a huge book-kind of thing in one of the cupboards, probably yellow pages or something like that. Pens was on the counter, and I scribbled down a few words in the dark.

_I'm in La Push. _

_Don't worry, I'll be careful when I drive, and I'll call tomorrow. _

_Love, Maia._

I even signed it with my 'real' name. It was time for dad to get over the whole 'Maddy'-business. That wasn't my name.

I smiled a little to myself as I hurried out of the kitchen and out the front door. It took a lot of focus to open and close it without as much as the tiniest little squeak, but here, too, it helped how new it was. I grinned at my success and ran for dad's car.

Poor guy would just have to come get it in La Push.

Or maybe he'd demand that I drove it back.

I could live with that as long as Embry came with me.

My stomach fluttered at the thought of him, and I nearly squealed in giddiness. I was going to see him again! In six hours, it was a long drive, but still.

I filed aside the picture of him in my mind for later. I needed to concentrate on the road, I was already tired, dozy, and I couldn't fall asleep and kill myself. Then it would all pretty much be wasted, and I didn't want that either.

One hour later I put on the radio as loud as I could, for my eye-lids were getting heavy. I shook my head over and over again, pressing my nails into my right hand. The pain would keep me alert. A little later I stopped by a small shop, open 24/7, and bought a coffee.

I remembered watching 'Mister Bean's Holiday' with Lena. He'd been tired as he drove, too, but as he always managed, he solved the problem. I frantically started searching for matches in the car, but found nothing.

I sighed.

Three hours left. Just three hours left.

It was starting to get lighter outside, the sun was coming up. It was five thirty in the morning, and I hadn't slept all night. My thought kept drifting over to Embry.

_Don't think about him. Don't think about him. _

_Think about… ponies. Pink ponies. With purple hair that has gold stars in it. _

I giggled.

The caffeine was making me hyper. But that was a good thing. I really didn't want to die. Not on the schedule for today. Couldn't die on my birthday.

"Wait!" I suddenly exclaimed, looking at the clock again. Six thirty. I was seventeen, and I'd been for hours. I'd been even before I left the house, and I hadn't even noticed it.

_Well, happy birthday to me, _I though dryly. _Only one year left before my parents can't boss me around anymore_.

I mused over that for a while.

One and a half hour.

It was seven o'clock now.

That meant I would be there about eight thirty. Hopefully someone would be up, then. I wanted to get to him as soon as possible, and I didn't want to wait for him for hours if he was patrolling or something.

Happily I realized the word, patrolling, suddenly seemed much better, easier, to think. It almost felt natural.

I tried with the other words, too, just to try it out.

"Phase. Imprint. Werewolf. Patrol." Easy. Simple. Almost normal.

Forty-five minutes.

I started singing 'The River' by Bruce Springsteen as it played on the radio. My voice was weak, not very pretty. But that was probably part because I was dead-tired and my throat was dry and slimy for some reason. I wasn't getting sick? No…

Thirty minutes.

The butterflies in my stomach fluttered around like crazy, like they tried to make holes through me to get out. I was jumping up and down in excitement. Thirty minutes left, then I could see him again. Only thirty minutes…

I was wide-awake by now. Couldn't sleep. No way.

I started speeding as my surroundings got more and more familiar, glancing at the clock every tenth second.

Fifteen minutes.

I reached Horton's house in ten.

My knees wobbled under me as I stepped out of the car, but I didn't care about it or think about it even for a second. I forced them to run, leaping over the asphalt and in the door that was unlocked. I almost hit the wall in the hall, but got unharmed to Melissa's stairs.

I took them in two strides and collided with the door.

"Melissa!" I bellowed as I pushed it open, impatiently. I hopped over the messy floor, landing ungracefully on Melissa's bed. I felt her body jerk under me and she shrieked in surprise. "It's me!" I exclaimed.

"Maia?" she asked uncertainly, painfully slowly for my taste.

"Yes!" I replied quickly.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked me, trying to get up. I didn't have time to move.

"I need to talk to Embry," I said quickly.

"I guessed that much, I meant, what the fuck are you doing in my bed? _On me_?"

I brushed it off with an impatient huff. "Where's Embry?" I demanded to know.

"Last time I saw him he was in Emily's living room, staring blankly at the TV, which was turned off…" I was already out of her door, on my way up the stairs before she finished. Emily's. I could go there, no problem.

Back into the car.

I drove way too fast for mine and for anyone else's safety, but there weren't anyone else outside this time of day, so it didn't matter. My breathing increased as I stopped the car outside the house and my heart was beating so fast that it hurt.

I got out of the car with rapid, sharp movements, walking unsteadily to the door. I didn't dare to run, because I knew I would fall over somehow.

My mind didn't work as much as to think to ring the door bell. I just walked straight in, not even wondering why everyone's doors in La Push was unlocked. It didn't matter. It was just good.

"Embry," I called carefully into the house, stopping right inside the door. I was panting for air, exhausted only by walking from the car, worn out by all my mixed feelings and ecstatic moods.

There was a silence.

Then some shuffling.

And the sound of footsteps… and then he was there.

Tall, muscular, god-like, gorgeous…

"Maia?" he asked, squinting at me like he wasn't sure. His voice was hopeful, light, almost child-like, and it made my stomach flutter even more. My reply came out as a whisper, barely audible:

"Embry."

* * *

**.... and there! Phew, finally things can be happy again! **

**Was that a mean cliffhanger? A little? Good! **

**And wasn't that a nice birthday present for Maia?? Getting to see Embry again?? **

**I wanted her to turn seventeen somewhere, so she'd be the same age as him, and I figured 'why not do it now?' **

**Ah, and I really loved your reviews for the last chapter, they were so nice! I even got one from Norway and one from Sweden, so I'm happy. I was kind of hoping for some of those, too, soon. **

**What did you think of comparing her to Amanda Woods? Seriously, I was caught off guard with the matching last names. Kind of surprising, and funny. **

**The songs she's listening to in this chapter is 'Circles' by Hollywood Undead and 'The River' by Bruce Springsteen. For some reason I listened to those while I wrote the chapter, because I kind of felt like they fit. Maybe not the lyrics, but still. Oh, and 'You're so gay' by Katy Perry... I _love_ that song, it's so funny!! **

**Since I'm already rambling about songs, I was thinking about making a playlist for the story, but I'm gonna need help. Any suggestions?? **


	25. What is it NOW?

**Here's a chapter for you all. **

**I do not own Twilight, blah, blah, blah..**

* * *

"Embry," I whispered, hearing my quiet voice shake. I couldn't move just then, frozen by the sight of him, his wonderful, perfect, beautiful tired face. He looked at me with wide, disbelieving eyes that almost looked like they were ready to pop right out of his sockets. I forced my feet to move me forwards, and he moved at the same time. It happened faster than I could see, but suddenly my feet were off the ground and I was pressed to his chest.

I put my arms around his neck, digging my face into his shoulder.

"I'm Amanda Woods!" I blurted out without thinking. He didn't seem to notice that I said anything, but maybe that was a good thing. Wait till I knew what came out of my mouth. My fingers tangled themselves into the soft hair by his neck and I felt his hands go to my hair, too.

"I didn't think you'd come back," he breathed in my ear, his voice breaking in happiness.

"Of course I'd come back," I mumbled back.

He pulled be back a little, roughly, and looked into my eyes for a moment before he kissed me carefully. I smiled against his lips and kissed back. I felt the stupid wall I'd imagined to be there tumble own easily, and Embry seemed to notice it, too. He winced in happiness before he pulled back again.

"You're back," he exclaimed enthusiastically before I had time to claim his lips again.

"Yeah, thought we already settled that," I replied before kissing him again. He pushed me back another time, earning an unhappy growl from me. He grinned as he looked at my face.

"Yes, but you're _here_!" He was smiling wider than ever.

"Yeah," I agreed. "And I'm sorry." Might as well start now, I had a lot of explaining to do. Embry frowned like he didn't really understand what I was saying, but then it dawned on him.

"_I'm_ sorry," he corrected.

"_I_ am," I insisted. This was not something I would let him take the blame for. This one was one me, and only me. "I'm not sure what was going on in my head, I'm so, _so_ sorry," I started.

"It's nothing to be sorry for," he tried cutting me off, but I kept talking.

"I didn't really realize that _I_ was the only one standing in the way for us. I completely overreacted instead of looking at the simple facts." That's what Rachel had said. A little dejected I realized she had been right again. Darn. "That I love you," I said, pausing to see his reaction. He lit up like a candle, looking like he might explode with happiness. "and that you love me." I couldn't help it. My voice sounded a little uncertain at the end.

"I do," he assured me. I smiled.

"It's just, when I started thinking about everything, I kind of thought it was too complicated. And then, for some unexplainable and idiotic reason, I decided it would be better to go away. Like that would ease the confusion, it just made everything worse, and not just for me –"

"You have to breathe in between monologues, Maia," he reminded me in a laugh.

"Right. But then I understood it, because I don't think I really made all the choices consciously, it was like my mind was already determined that love is a bad thing, and it was just waiting for an opportunity to escape it –"

"You're doing it again," he cut me off.

"Is it really that important to you that I don't get to finish my sentences?" I asked him with a chuckle.

"Honestly, yes, because all that matters to me is that you're _here_," he told me sincerely. If I hadn't been feeling so hectic at the moment I might have blushed at that

"I'll shorten it down for you. _I_ made a mistake, and it's _entirely_ my fault, and nothing is on you, and I drove all the way back here to make it up and maybe possibly get a new chance," I breathed out, biting my lip.

Embry was shaking his head in amusement before he kissed me again. I melted against him as the last remains of the wall disappeared in thin air. It felt like they'd never been there before.

"You'll always have a new chance," he mumbled against my lips. "Only next time I won't let you disappear from me. It was horrible," he whined.

"I know, I'm so, _so_ sorry, I'll never ever over think stuff again. Not like that."

"Can _I_ apologize now?" he asked me, pulling away a few inches to look at my face. I shook my head.

"No. I told you, it's only my fault. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Not even if it makes me feel better?"

"Not even then." I squirmed a little in his arms, uncomfortable now that I started to think about it. I saw his questioning and a little hurt expression. "Mind if we sit down?"

"Why?"

"I don't know if you've ever tried it, but having your legs dangle in the air over a longer amount of time isn't exactly comfortable," I told him matter-of-factly, smiling a little. He looked down, as if to check I was telling the truth.

"Oh," he replied with a grin.

He made his way into the living room, collapsing in the couch. I giggled as I fell on top of him, since he still hadn't let go of me. I moved so I sat more comfortably on his lap, smiling. He smiled back, innocently, and asked:

"Can I apologize now?"

"You're starting to annoy me," I informed him.

"I will keep annoying you till I get it my way," he replied. I focused my eyes on his, sternly, concentrating on not blinking. I knew I probably wouldn't win; I'd lost before. But hey, you can't blame a girl for trying.

My eyes soon started to sting, and I looked away with a groan.

"Don't take it so hard, you're getting better," Embry assured me and patted my back soothingly.

"I _will_ beat you," I told him certainly, and he just smiled. "Fine. Say whatever you want to say."

"Good. Okay, I'm sorry, too, because I made everything even more complicated than it already was for you." I started to shake my head, but he glared at me, so I stopped. "I knew that you were over thinking it, but I figured if I just… you know, if I was there _all the time_ you'd get over it."

"It could have worked if I hadn't –"

"_I'm_ talking," he interrupted me with a crooked grin. "Anyway, what I'm saying is that I'm sorry I pushed you too far. I should have just given you some space, like I kind of knew you needed, but I didn't want to because I'm kind of selfish when it comes to you, and when I started that I just couldn't make myself stop because I was sort of determined to make it work –"

"Breathe," I reminded him with a chuckle.

" – but when I kissed you I realized I was just making everything a hundred times worse, so I decided it would be better to give you the space you needed. Honestly, I was half counting on you to change your mind before you guys started driving, but I saw that it wouldn't happen, and after you left, I couldn't do anything, and it was all my fault, and –"

"Jeesh, you're much worse than me," I exclaimed, battling my hand up to cover his mouth. I felt him smile under it before he moved it away and brought me closer for a kiss. I welcomed it happily, sighing in contentment as I brought my arms up around his neck again.

Abruptly he pushed me back (again) by putting a hand on my shoulder, and I whined and pouted.

"What –" I started.

"Did you say you _drove_ all the way here?" he asked me, raising both of his eye brows. I frowned.

"Did I say that?"

"Yeah, with the new chance-thing," he reminded me.

"Oh. I guess I did say that," I mused. I met his questioning gaze. "What?"

"So you _did_ drive here?"

"What else, run?" I joked lamely.

"_You_ drove."

"Yes."

"_You_ drove," he repeated, like he wanted to double-check. Or, triple-check, maybe.

"_Yes_, what's wrong with me driving?"

"I'm thinking about your safety!" he exclaimed, like that was obvious. I raised one eye brow skeptically at him, and suddenly he was distracted. "How do you do just one at a time?" he asked me, trying to only lift one of his brows at a time.

"You can't do it? It's not hard," I told him, doing it again.

"Really? I don't get it…" he said with a shrug. "Anyway, have you ever _seen_ yourself drive?"

"Can't say I have, no," I shook my head.

"So you're unaware of how much you're speeding," he checked. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not driving faster than anyone else. I follow the law."

"You're driving _way_ too fast," he argued.

"Am _not_!" I insisted.

"Are too!"

"Am not!" I retorted, glaring into his eyes, challenging him for another staring-contest. He obliged eagerly. This time I held out longer, but at last I lost again. Frustrated, I slapped him in the shoulder with a huff.

"So, does this mean I won again?" he asked.

"No, you're just imagining it."

"Right."

"Do you have a phone I can borrow?" I asked to change the subject.

"Why?"

"I kind of have to call dad. He sort of doesn't know where I am… what?" I asked at his disapproving expression.

"You drove all night _– you_ – and no one even knew where you were?" he asked, making it sound like something stupid. I raised one eye brow at him, crossing my arms.

"Don't complain, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been here till Monday. I'm three days early." He beamed at that reminder.

"I'm happy about _that_," he assured me. "Just that –"

"Phone?"

"I'm –"

"Phone?" I demanded again, holding my hand out. He sighed and shook his head before he fished out his own phone from a pocket. I threw him a sweet smile and got up, but he kept my hand in his.

"Can't you call him here?" he asked, grinning hopefully at me.

"You'll distract me," I replied. When he didn't let go I rolled my eyes at him with a smile and sat down at the arm rest of the sofa with my back towards him.

"Thanks," he said happily, playing with the fingers of my free hand as I dialed dad's number. I frowned at the phone.

"How old _is_ this thing?" I asked in a mutter.

"Two and a half years, still as good as new," Embry said proudly. I glanced at him for a short second, but decided not to answer that.

Dad answered after only two rings.

"Hello?" he said in a frustrated voice. Hm. I either woke him up, or he'd just seen my note. I didn't know which one to hope for.

"Hi, dad," I answered, waiting for the thunderstorm I probably would get from him now.

"Madeline?" he asked, his voice raising in anger.

"Yeah."

"Maddy, what do you think you're doing? Sneaking out like that. Do you have _any_ idea –" Oh yeah, he'd seen it. And he was pissed. " – how _scared_ I got when you weren't here? Harriet was going to wake you so you could play tennis, what do you think we thought when you weren't there?"

"That I was out jogging?"

"Not funny," he replied, his voice flat as if he was trying to hold back his anger.

"I know. But you wouldn't listen to me," I tried reasoning with him, even though I knew it was pointless. Once he'd made up his mind about something it was impossible to change it for him. But, like someone smart ones said, a thing is only impossible until someone does it.

"What could possibly be so important that you would risk giving me a heart attack?" he hissed.

"Embry," I answered easily. I felt Embry's hand tighten around mine, and I looked at him and smiled.

"You can't just leave like that, not even for a boy. You have responsibilities, Madeline. Other than your boyfriend."

"I know."

"You can't put him in front of your family when you've only known him for three weeks. It's ridiculous, Madeline."

"But when my family won't listen to me I kind of have to do what I have to do," I said. I felt more confident with Embry holding my hand. Instead of just backing off I held my place in this. "Aren't you supposed to work hard for what you want? There's always sacrifices."

"And you mean that you could 'sacrifice' your family?" dad asked in a raging voice.

"You said that, not me." Dad paused, probably thinking back to remember if he _had_ said that. Then he brushed it off, getting angry again. I heard he was about to say something again, so I hurriedly cut him off. "The car, what do you want me to do about it?"

"The car?" he repeated, baffled.

"Will you come get it or do you want me to drive it back?"

"I'll… get it, but don't change the subject," he started again, annoyed. "We're not finished discussing this –"

"Dad, listen to me, okay?" I cut him off, irritated now. "You can be really cranky about this if you'd like, but that will only turn back on you. If I can't get along with you just because of this tiny little disagreement, then I don't want to spend my holidays with you anymore. You know that, right? I live with mum, not you." Dad didn't say anything, so I continued. "So if you want us to have a good relationship, take this like a man and not like mum would. I want to be friends with you, but I'm not a little girl you can boss around. Do you understand that?"

"I know you're not a little girl," dad started.

"And I need you to respect me and my choices," I cut him off again.

"Of course I respect you, honey," he told me softly. The change in his voice from earlier was extreme. I smiled smugly for myself. Just because this place was filled with discussion-winning, stubborn people didn't mean I couldn't make other people see my side of things.

"Great. So you'll get the car here, then?" I checked.

"Yes. Is it okay if we stay a few days, too?" he asked, hopefully.

"I guess so. You'd have to ask Horton, it's not my house."

"Great. We'll stay here till Monday, though." He sounded content now, back to normal, the fight forgotten. Talk about adjusting.

"How will you get here?"

"We'll manage," he replied.

"Great. Can't wait to see you, dad," I told him warmly with a smile. I was _so_ good.

"You too. And happy birthday, honey. I'll bring your gift with me."

"You got me a gift?" I asked eagerly.

"Of course I did," he answered, sounding like he was grinning.

"Great!"

He laughed a little. "We'll see you Monday, honey."

I hung up, smiling like an idiot as I handed the phone to Embry. I was surprised to see his glare again, and threw my arms in the air in a dejected manner.

"What is it now?" I asked.

"You didn't tell me it was your birthday," he accused.

"What, are you gonna get a gift? Because if I knew that I most definitely would have told you."

"You need to sleep," he pointed out.

"I'm fine, I had coffee on the way," I assured him with another grin.

"I figured," he muttered, dragging me off the armrest. I plumped down on the couch at my back, tilting my head back to look at him.

"I was going to tell you," I assured him. He looked at me darkly. "I was getting to it!" I defended. He tried raising only one of his eye brows, but it ended up as a hilarious grimace. I laughed. "You're not very good at that," I giggled.

"How do you do it?" he asked me with a sheepish smile.

"I don't know, I just do it. Try again."

He tensed his whole face as he tried and it looked like he was in real pain when he did.

"Not like that," I laughed. "Here, I'll help you."

I put my fingers on his right eye brow and he grinned at me, surprised.

"That'll help?" he asked skeptically.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "We'll see. Try now." He did, and both of them flew up like nothing held them back, and I drew my hand back with a grimace. "I didn't know your eye brow-muscles were also affected when you became a werewolf," I said, and he broke into laughter.

"I didn't either," he laughed at me, dragging me to him and ruffling my hair. I huffed before I leaned into him, relaxing with my head on his chest. "Hey, I know what I'll get you for your birthday," he exclaimed, and I tilted my head up to look at him. "A new phone," he grinned.

I chuckled. "That's a little too much –"

"Nope. I broke yours, the least I can do is get you a new one," he insisted.

I giggled and rolled my eyes. "Fine."

I heard footsteps in the stairs, and turned to look who was coming. Emily made her entrance elegantly. She was one of those people who looked good no matter where or when. Lucky woman.

"Hi, Maia," she greeted me when she saw me. "Weren't expecting you today."

"I wasn't expecting me either," I told her.

She smiled. "Good to have you back. Wanna help me make breakfast? The guys are coming over soon," she told me with a roll of her eyes.

"Sure," I replied and tried to get up.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping or something," Embry hinted me, holding me back.

"I don't need to yet," I said, glaring at him till he let go. I gave him a happy smile and went to the kitchen, him close behind me.

Needless to say that we put _huge_ amounts of food on the table. It was even more than I'd thought necessary, and I'd thought a lot. I looked at Embry in wonder when he looked at it skeptically, like he wasn't sure it would be enough.

"I'm so glad I'm not you," I told Emily teasingly. She rolled her eyes and smiled – half of her face smiled – as she sat down.

"They'll be here soon, I hope," she mumbled.

"Where are they?"

"Out doing wolf-business," she answered, wriggling her eye brows. I nodded with a small smile. I should have guessed that, of course. I was new to this stuff, so I guess I was excused.

The guys started filing in soon after that, digging in before everyone was there despite Emily's warnings. She sighed, giving up and gliding down on my left side. Embry was on my right. He was pushing food into his mouth at the same time as he was staring at me openly, but it didn't look disgusting, like it would with any other guy. Embry did it in a way that looked cute.

I knew that Rachel had arrived when her strong arms wrapped around my shoulders from behind. I choked at my food, gripping at her hands to get her to let go.

"I knew it! I said you'd come back, right Paul?" she yelled, her tone a mix of smugness and ecstasy, shaking me violently.

"You know you're killing her, right?" I heard Paul's voice from somewhere.

"She deserves it," Rachel mumbled as she let me go.

"Jeesh, you always make everything so intense, Rachel," I scolded her while straightening my shirt. I looked up to see Embry glare in Rachel's direction and she smirked back. She sat down on the opposite side of the table as me, smiling widely at me. "What is it now?" I asked.

"Don't you have something to say to me?"

I pretended to think about it for a short second. "You have issues?"

Someone barked out a laugh, but I wasn't sure who.

Rachel narrowed her eyes for a moment and shook her head.

"No, not that one."

"Um…"

"Just tell her she's right, she won't stop before you do," Paul advised me.

Rachel nodded hugely next to him, and I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. You were right."

She grinned approvingly at me. "I knew you'd come around," she said happily before she started eating. A little later Kim and Jared came in too. Kim grinned widely in my direction, her white teeth almost blinding me.

Kim and Jared were a strange couple to look at. Kim was tiny. Much shorter than me and her body was like an eight-year-olds – thin and not exactly curved. Jared was her complete opposite, tall and muscular, like all the pack-guys were. The height-difference was so big it was almost funny.

I looked at Embry and wondered if it looked that weird when I stood next to him, too. I was taller than Kim – who wasn't? – but still.

I also overheard someone talk about a bonfire tonight, and I eagerly agreed to come. Since I hadn't paid attention the last time and stuff. I wanted to hear the legends.

"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" Embry asked me when I said I'd come.

"It's a _great_ idea," I smiled.

"In that case, you have to sleep some before we go there."

"I really don't think I'll need –"

"You're going to need it," he cut me off confidently, smiling smugly at his easy victory. He ignored my every attempt to talk him out of it, so I decided I could compromise.

"Fine. But then you have to sleep, too."

"Deal," he replied quickly, too eagerly.

We left when Rachel started criticizing Kim's hair. I only heard something about a curling iron as we walked out the door, and Embry mumbled something about 'obsessed woman' or something. I wasn't interested enough to ask who he was talking about.

"I take it I'm not driving?" I asked.

"Good guess," he grinned as I handed him the keys.

I snorted at him as he started driving, and he looked at me.

"That's two wrongs. One for speeding and one for not keeping those eyes on the road," I scolded him and pointed forwards.

"Those rules aren't for me," he huffed confidently. I raised one eye brow (enjoying the puzzled look on his face when I did it) questioningly and crossed my arms.

"Oh?"

"I'm not as human as you are. I have better sight and better reactions and better –"

"Watch out!" I shrieked.

Embry's head snapped away from me and he pressed the brakes in as hard as he could. I flew forward, but the seat belt yanked me back as I started laughing. I looked up at Embry, who was panting hard and fast, clutching his chest with his hand.

"Never. Do. That. Again," he told me through grit teeth. I tried speaking through my laughter, choking out words.

"You should have seen your face!" I laughed.

"That was seriously dangerous, Maia," he said sternly, but he softened up a bit. My laughter faded away eventually and he was still catching his breath, trying to get over the shock.

"If that was a kid, he'd be dead by now," I pointed out in a serious voice. "No more speeding for you, mister," I told him, pointing my finger at him.

"Sure," he mumbled, avoiding eye-contact with me. I could see a tiny smile in the corner of his mouth, though, and I sat back in my seat with a smug smile as he started driving again. Much slower now.

He pulled into the drive-way of the house five minutes later. I had only gotten to unfasten my seat belt when he was at my side, lifting my up in his arms.

"Who said you could do that?" I protested, feeling stupid as he carried me bridal style towards the door.

"I did."

"I didn't say I wanted to be carried, you smuck."

"I know, I just love to annoy you," he grinned slyly, and I couldn't help it but to smile back. He was _so_ cute.

My mattress was still on the floor, like it had been when I left, so we just plopped down on it together. He instantly curled his arms around me like he had the last time, and I positioned my head on one of his arms as a pillow and faced him. I smiled.

"What?" he asked and smiled back.

"You smell nice," I noted without thinking and smiled wider.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You smell like Embry."

"You smell nice, too," he told me, brushing some of my hair out of my eyes. I grinned widely. "Now sleep," he ordered jokingly. I stuck my tongue out.

"Fine, be that way."

"I will."

I playfully glared at him, and he brought his fingers carefully to my eyelids and gently pushed them closed. If somebody else did that I would have freaked out, but with Embry it was okay. When my eyes were closed, and with the warmth radiating from Embry, I soon began to feel dozy and tired. Despite myself I drifted into a calm, dreamless sleep.

* * *

**This chapter was _really_ hard to write. Not sure why, but it was. **

**I got like 28 reviews for last chapter!! That's extreme!! Beat my record with 7!! **

**Therefore I felt really crappy when I didn't update yesterday. I felt as though you guys were all being so nice to me, and then I was mean and greedy and stuff when I didn't update and it was _so sad_. **

**Anyway, there were some confusions about Maia's last name. I did mantion it in the first chapter, but I had to check myself. So I can't blame anyone for forgetting, I just felt I needed to use the same one if anyone actually _did_ notice. **

**So, I hope this chapter was happy enough to make up for all the depression in the last few chapters. I'm not gonna lie. It's not gonna be only happy ponies and butterflies and hearts and hearts and hearts till the end, but I can say that Maia and Embry will stay together. No more leaving or anything like that. I wouldn't handle it. Of course, in the end she's still leaving, but.. **

**Not many of you answered to the playlist-thing. I need suggestions!! I've got lots of songs for the depressing parts. It's the kind-of-friends-period I'm struggling with. But any suggestion will do. **

**One more thing, TeamJake was so sweet to mention me in her A/U, and I would feel a little mean if I didn't do the same. Seriously, she has the coolest story, you really should check it out!! 'New Starts And Big Hairy Things'. Just the name rocks. **


	26. Jackson 5

**List of things miilla doesn't own:**

**- iPhone**

**- an interest in sports**

**- a computer that actually functions the way it's supposed to**

**- Twilight**

**- a social antenna**

**- a boyfriend**

* * *

I was awoken by an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Maia! Get up, we need to go now!" it hissed at me. I let out a quiet groan. I was perfectly comfortable where I was. I didn't want to go anywhere. Which other place on this earth could possibly compare to this? Warm, but not too warm. Soft, but not too soft.

"Shh, you're waking her," a wonderful voice very close to me mumbled back. I felt myself smile and scooted a little closer to the voice and the warmth. Everything just got a little bit better. His voice was like the most beautiful music ever composed in my ear.

"That's kind of the point," Melissa said sarcastically as I felt Embry's arms tighten around me, bringing me even closer.

"Go away, Mel," I breathed.

"See? She doesn't want to go," Embry supported me faithfully.

"Maia, if you don't get up _right_ now, Rachel will come, and you know how she will be."

_I'll take my chances_, I thought for myself.

"Don't you want to hear the stories?"

"What stories?" I grumbled.

"The _legends_," Melissa hinted and I suddenly remembered the bonfire. I abruptly jumped up. I looked around myself, disoriented, until I saw Melissa in the door. She was smiling smugly, wriggling her eye brows at Embry.

I battled his hands off me, ignoring his pleading expression as I got to my feet. "What time is it?" I asked hectically while leaping out of my room. I didn't quite hear the answer as I slammed the bathroom door closed, checking myself in the mirror.

My hair was acting off. Bed-head, I thought frustrated as I pulled it back into a ponytail. I hated wearing my hair up. Made me feel sort of… uncovered?

Next my eyes went to my shirt. I'd been wearing it for, what, 36 hours? Maybe time to change. I didn't have any of my clothes with me, but Melissa had the same size as me. I found her in the kitchen. She opened her mouth to talk, probably to say something about how I used way too much time to get ready, so I hurriedly cut her off.

"Can I borrow a shirt?" I asked her.

"Sure," she mumbled, leading me to her room. She threw me one from her closet. "What made you change your mind?" she asked me.

"About…"

"About coming back," she clarified impatiently.

"Nothing, really," I mumbled as I changed. "Just realized I was acting stupid."

"_I_ could have told you that from the start –"

"Sure you could," I interrupted her, a little annoyed. Couldn't people just let this go? I was back, wasn't I? Trying to start over, I didn't come back here to be reminded of it over and over again.

"I'm just saying," she said and held her hands up defensively. I forced a smile.

"How's your baby?" I asked, my eyes wandering to her usually flat stomach. The bump didn't look bigger… or maybe a little? Perhaps it was just my imagination.

"Never better," she said sarcastically. I gave her a sympathetic smile.

"What about the father?" I asked.

Melissa's eyes widened and then narrowed angrily at me. She pointed her fingers upwards in a sharp movement, hissing through grit teeth something like 'shut it'.

"But –"

"Shh!"

"I –"

"Zip it!" she cut me off again.

I frowned, shaking my head at her before I walked back upstairs.

Embry was sitting on the mattress when I reentered the room, beaming when he saw me.

"I missed you," he declared.

"I missed you too, you goofball. Let's get going, Melissa is impatient," I ushered him, grabbing his hand, attempting to drag him up. Instead I ended up going down. I fell against Embry's chest and he caught me easily, kissing me quickly before he grinned. I smiled back stupidly and tried to collect my thoughts. "I repeat; you goofball. Seriously, I don't want to miss it," I said again, pushing myself off him.

"Fine, be like that," he said, jokingly insulted. "Spoilsport," he coughed under his breath. I spun around in the door, giving him a sharp glare before I continued down.

"Today!" Melissa demanded from downstairs, annoyed and impatient.

Ten minutes later we parked the car. Melissa stalked off in the direction of the bonfire without giving us another glance. I blamed the pregnancy. That's why she was so cranky. Hormones were merciless.

"Maia!" Rachel's voice called from behind me somewhere, and I glanced over my shoulder. I saw her and Emily by a car a few feet away. They were pulling and hauling at something to get it out… I squinted, and saw that it was a girl, clinging to the front seat like her life depended on it.

"Come on, Kim, you look great," Emily tried to persuade her, pulling at her arm to loosen her grip.

"I look like Annie!" Kim's thin voice exclaimed from the car. I sensed that the chances were good for some decent entertainment, and walked to them to see the show, telling Embry I'd be there soon. As I got closer I saw why Kim didn't want to come out. Someone had made her hair _huge_. Usually it was thin and straight, but now it was filled with afro-curls that reached just beneath her shoulders. I chuckled.

Kim saw me, giving me a death glare, and threw herself away from Rachel and Emily. She gripped the door handle on the other side, trying to hold herself back.

"You look fantastic, Kim," Rachel agreed with Emily, grabbing Kim's ankle. Kim shrieked, making me laugh out loud.

"I'll kill him, I'll kill him!" she sneered as she struggled.

"Who is she killing?" I asked Rachel. She grinned widely.

"Probably Jared. She thinks he's a traitor since he let us fix her hair."

"He _is_! Look what you did to me! I'm gonna kill that stupid dog!" she exclaimed. I had to grin. Just the thought of Kim killing anyone was hilarious. She looked like she wouldn't even be capable of killing a bee, and big, strong Jared?

"Relax, it looks great. Care to help us, Maia?" Rachel hinted. With my help we soon had Kim out of the car, but she slid to the ground, refusing to get up.

"I'm not going anywhere like this. Just forget it. Not a chance. None. Ever. Never. Never ever ever!"

Five minutes later she walked with us, defeated and with Rachel's hand clawed around her wrist to stop her from escaping, to where everyone else was. That was, as Rachel said, the beauty of blackmailing.

"I hate you all," she told us blankly. She tried smoothing her crazy hair down with her free hand, but it wouldn't budge.

"What did you do to it?" I asked Rachel, almost in awe.

"Well, we started with the –"

"Lots of _hairspray_. In _my_ hair. It's gonna take me _weeks_ to get it out!" Kim complained.

"Not our fault your hair is so soft. Nothing stayed, we were kind of desperate," Rachel admitted. Kim looked at me with pleading and desperate eyes.

"They duck taped my hands to the chair. That's not even legal, is it?" she asked me with round eyes. I laughed.

"It doesn't look _that_ bad," I told her. Now that I looked more closely at it, she actually kind of suited it. It was just unusual. It made her look kind of even smaller than she already was, but at the same time the hairstyle made her look more her age. The thin, undone locks made her look like a ten-year-old that had no idea how to style hair, but this way she looked more like an eighteen-year-old who knew _exactly_ what she was doing.

"I look like Michael Jackson when he was a kid! I look like Jackson Five!" she said desperately, dragging her hand through the hair more rapidly. Time was running out as we got closer to the fire, and her eyes flickered around for an escape.

"Really, Kim, you look good," Emily said again, almost soothingly.

"He is _so_ dead. I won't talk to him for… a week."

"If you're gonna make him suffer, that's not the most effective way to do it," Rachel told her matter-of-factly. Kim looked at her curiously. "For example, no kisses, no touching, or my personal favorite, scratch yourself till you bleed. It will kill him if you tell him it hurts."

"You're talking out of personal experiences?" I asked Rachel with a smile.

"Oh yeah," she grinned, nodding hugely. "Everyone needs a hobby, right?"

That's when we got out of the tree-covered path, reaching the others. Embry saw me, lightening up instantly. He ran towards me so fast that I was almost afraid he'd run me over, but he simply took my face in his hands and kissed me quickly.

"I _really_ missed you," he told me as he pulled back.

"I figured," I replied with a teasing smile before I looked around to see who was here. I saw Seth sitting by the fire next to a little girl, showing her his cell phone. She was beaming happily, probably playing a game or something. Not far away were Paul and Collin… or Brady; I always mixed those two up. They kind of looked the same, not as big as everyone else. They still had that boyish expression on their faces.

"That's Leah, right?" I asked Embry and pointed to a girl close to Paul.

"Yeah," he replied just as Leah's head snapped up. I gulped a little as her ice-cold eyes looked at me before she quickly turned away again, like I wasn't worth looking at. Did she hear me say her name from all over here? Maybe I'd underestimated the werewolves' hearing.

Embry laughed at my expression, ruffling my hair.

I huffed and grabbed his hand, leading him to Rachel and the others. Rachel had placed herself with Paul, naturally, with a grumpy Kim next to her.

"Can't I just go home? I mean, I've heard these stories before, it's not like –"

"Zip it, Kim, you're ruining my evening," Rachel snapped to make her quiet, and Kim pursed her lips and leaned her back against the log with an unhappy expression. She started mumbling angry little promises and curses for herself.

"Are you hungry?" Embry asked as I slid to the ground.

"Not really," I replied, smiling amused as he eyed the food someone, probably some of the other guys, had brought with a hungry expression. "Go eat," I urged him, and he grinned a wolfish grin (no pun intended) and hurried away from me.

"… 'I only want what's best for you', yeah right. 'Don't worry, nothing will happen to you, I swear.'" I cut off Kim's mindless rambling.

"Where is Jared, anyway?"

"Where everyone else is. Going after that vampire-thing. Don't ask me, somehow that's more important than _me_ keeping my dignity –"

"Are you _ever_ going to stop complaining?" Rachel interrupted her, earning a sharp glare from Kim. I had to giggle. She was acting different than she usually did. More out-going, sort of.

"He's _really_ going to hear it when he gets back. Seriously, this is… this is like betrayal!" she exclaimed and threw her arms automatically in the air. A few people turned to look at her, and she blushed and packed her arms around herself tightly.

"Another vampire?" I asked as I reacted to what she'd just said. Her eyes flickered to me, curiously.

"Are there more than one?" she asked, confused. She scrunched her nose thoughtfully. "No, there's only one."

"What about William?" I asked. It hit me that she probably never learned his name, so I quickly added; "The one I met."

"Isn't it still him?"

I shook my head. "No, Embry said –"

"Shit!" she suddenly exclaimed and paled a little. Her eyes were on something behind me, over my shoulder, and I twisted my neck to see. Embry was standing on the other end of the fire, waving his hands in diversion.

I looked back to see Kim cover her mouth and blush.

"Um…" she mumbled under her hand.

The next second Embry was next to me, and I looked at him questioningly. He sent Kim an accusing glare, making her blush even more in embarrassment.

"He isn't dead?" I guessed in a thin voice.

"No," Embry admitted, and his face sunk noticeably. He reached for my hand, squeezing it lightly. I blinked as I let it sink in… and shuddered.

"What happened to him, then?"

"He kind of… got away," Embry mumbled. He looked away from me, as if he felt embarrassed.

"But you said –"

"He's really fast. Faster than the others."

I gulped as I glanced at Kim. She was still covering her mouth, and her eyes were almost blank.

"Why didn't you just say that?" I asked. My voice came out a little sharper than I'd intended, and Embry jerked his head back to look at me.

"Because I wanted to comfort you," he said sullenly. I raised my eye brows, wordlessly telling him to explain. "I just maybe sorta thought that you perhaps possibly wouldn't be as shocked or afraid or whatever if I said he wasn't an issue anymore. Kinda."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry. I should have told you."

"It's fine," I said, though my voice sounded uncertain. I cleared my throat and repeated it. "It's fine."

"I was planning on telling you," he quickly added. "I mean, when the time was right and stuff. Probably after we got it – him." After they killed William. Right. The thought made me shudder a little, so I quickly filed it away.

"It's okay," I told Embry, a little more convincingly.

He stared into my eyes, probably looking to see if I was really telling the truth. I smiled at him back. Kim interrupted us.

"Look, I'm really sorry, I didn't quite remember that anyone ever told me that she wasn't supposed to know, because if I knew I wouldn't, you know, say it, I mean, I didn't mean to… make everything bad or whatever, I'm really sorry –"

"It's okay Kim, really," I cut her off as I looked at her. She was watching me with big, round eyes and trembling lips. She was obviously a prone to overreact. "It's probably better you slipped," I added.

"I _was_ going to tell you," Embry insisted.

"I know, but this way I know faster," I answered. I tried to make my voice sound cheerful, teasing, and flashed a grin in Kim's direction. Embry still wasn't smiling, though, so I leaned in to kiss him. He only kissed me back for a few seconds and then pulled back.

"You're not leaving me again, are you?" he asked me regretfully. I saw the fear in his eyes and melted completely. He was like a puppy. If I had wanted to leave him I couldn't. I mean, I had to, eventually, but not yet.

"For this? Of course not," I said, brushing it off. Embry grinned in relief before he let me closer again.

A few seconds later – or maybe minutes, hours, for all I knew – I heard Kim's faint, thin voice ask carefully; "_Now_ can I go home?"

* * *

**It took me a week to update, and I'm really sorry. School started again, and suddenly I'm busy all the time! It's exhausting! **

**Plus this chapter was really hard to write. I had to leave out like hundreds of things I wanted to include because it simply didn't fit anywhere. I hope I can put it in somewhere later in the story. **

**I feel really mean to Kim.. I mean, I feel like I betrayed her! Not because of the hair, that was fun to write. I've been wanting to fix her hair for months. But someone had to break the news to Maia about William, and Rachel's too perfect, the guys wouldn't dare, and I needed her to _know _he isn't dead. So now all I want is to go give Kim a hug. **

**And I have a lot of funny mental images of Kim ignoring Jared now. Hehe. **

**I just have to admit it... I do kind of have a tiny bit of writer's block. It's very annoying. It does not mean I'll abandon the story, it happened once in No Way, too, but I did get to the end of it. And I intend to do so here, too. **

**And to all my reviewers: THANK YOU SO MUCH!! **

**I felt really mean, now, too, that I didn't update faster, because everyone was so nice in the reviews, and I wanted to thank everyone, but the PM-thing is starting ot act up here. No worries, though, I'm getting a new computer tomorrow, and it's on time. **

**So, um, I'll _try_ to update faster this time, but I'm not promising anything. I'll be even busier next week. Maybe the weekend. **


	27. Filler

**Yes. Yes, I'm alive, stop bugging me. **

**I don't want to hear _one single word_ about this being too short, because I simply posted what I had this far. **

**I still don't own a social antenna and I think I broke a poor woman's buscard. And then I pretended like nothing happened. I felt really bad about it later. **

* * *

Even though I was impatient for the telling of the legends, I still had a great time before it started. Watching Kim became entertainment in itself, especially when she tried to sneak away and Rachel hauled her back by her hair.

When Jared and Sam came (and Paul and Jacob left) she did as she had promised and ignored Jared. Needless to say that his expression was priceless when he saw her, a mixture of shock and awe. And then confusion when she didn't respond to him.

And then there was Seth and Ali, who I had learned was his imprint. And she was ten, but I'd been assured that Seth didn't think of her as anything else than a friend. I hadn't spoken much to her, only when Seth insisted to introduce us, but it was impossible to miss the sweet little prank she pulled on poor Seth.

"Seth, I think you've got a date," she declared loudly with a mischievous grin. Seth's eyes snapped from her face instantly, his stupid grin fading slightly when he didn't understand her. She giggled as she showed him his phone, which she had been playing with for the past hours.

Seth stared at the screen for a moment, and his expression turned to horror.

"What did you do," he exclaimed, grasping the phone out of Ali's hand as she giggled again. She, and everyone else that had noticed them, watched in anticipation as Seth pressed the buttons rapidly. He gasped. "You didn't!"

"What did she do?" Rachel asked impatiently. She was close enough to reach the phone, and tried to grab it. Seth held it out of her reach easily without looking away from the screen.

He groaned loudly, and Ali broke into a loud laugh.

Rachel turned to her. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"I asked if Jen wanted to go on a date with him," she laughed smugly.

"I'll just text her and cancel," Seth decided firmly as we chuckled at his dilemma.

"You can't," Ali interrupted him. "That would be really rude," she chastised him sweetly and fixed a stern gaze on him. His eyes flickered to her and he totally melted.

"But I don't want to go on a date with her!" Seth moaned childishly.

"You have to, I already asked her for you," Ali simply said.

Seth glared at her. "And I'll hold the grudge forever," he mumbled and looked at his phone again.

"Why don't you want to date her? Is she ugly?" Ali asked innocently.

"Yes."

Ali gasped. "Seth! That's a horrible thing to say!"

I laughed out loud at her sweet and childish reactions, and copied her in a whisper to Embry. He chuckled with me.

"I meant no," he quickly corrected himself.

"So. She's pretty?" Ali checked.

Seth looked a little pained, like saying this Jen-girl was pretty would be a defeat for him. Or worse; it would be the death of him.

"Sort of," he allowed hesitantly.

"Then why won't you date her?" Ali asked dejectedly.

"Because she's… not nice," he mumbled.

"Why not?"

"She's… sort of… kinda…"

"She skips school?" Ali asked seriously.

"And other things," Embry suddenly broke in. "With other boys."

Seth turned to glare at Embry while Ali gasped even louder. "Does she _kiss_ them?" she exclaimed and looked from Embry to Seth to Rachel and then to me. We all tried hard not to laugh out loud. Oblivious kid alarm.

"Yes," Seth responded quickly before anyone could say anything else. "And I don't like her."

"Maybe she's nice on the inside," Ali told him reasonably.

"Yeah, maybe she is," Rachel agreed.

"I don't think she is." Seth sent us all an annoyed glare and then looked at Ali again. "Please don't make me go on that date!" he begged.

"But I think it would be a good experience for you. Maybe you'll like her," Ali said enthusiastically. Seth shook his head fast.

"I promise, I won't," he assured her. "I'll hate it! Can't I just cancel? Please?"

Ali frowned thoughtfully.

"What's in it for me?" she asked hesitantly. I stifled another laugh.

"Whatever you want!" Seth promised quickly. Oh boy, Ali was going to be one spoiled girl.

"You'll take me cliff-diving?" she asked eagerly. Seth's eyes widened in shock, and he stiffened. Rachel, however, laughed and clasped Ali's back approvingly.

"I _like_ you," she announced.

"Anything but _that_," Seth told Ali.

And the conversation went on and on. When Ali realized that she wouldn't get to cliff-dive as long as Seth had a say in it, she asked about rafting, parachute, snowboarding etc. etc. until they finally settled with skipping school for a day.

Yeah, I know. She was only twelve, though, it was probably a big deal for her.

"Why can't he just go on that date?" I asked Embry when Seth and Ali was occupied with each other again. Embry looked at me with raised eye brows, like he was surprised I didn't know the answer for myself.

"Because she's his imp–"

"I know _that_," I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "But you said he doesn't feel anything romantic towards her, right?"

"Yeah, but still. Even without the romance part he couldn't date someone else. I guess it would kind of feel like cheating."

"But it isn't."

"_No_, but it would_ feel _like it," Embry said slowly, as if to a child. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he ruffled my hair.

"Why?"

"Because it would."

"That's the lamest answer ever invented," I noted, and he grinned.

"Okay, okay. I guess it would feel like… um. Betrayal, because… well, because it's like going against nature. It's like turning your back against gravity," he tried to explain while frowning. "It would feel like… um. I'm not sure how to explain this. Can't you just accept my answer and move on," he said, playfully annoyed.

"Fine, then," I retorted in the same tone as him. I smiled crookedly and leaned in to press my lips against his. Just as I did, I could hear an 'ew' come from Seth and Ali's direction.

I turned to them and opened my mouth to answer, but then I realized everyone had gone quiet. I saw Billy Black (yes, I'd even learned _his_ name) straightening himself, getting ready to tell the stories. I let out an eager squeal without thinking about it and forgot all about annoying kids.

* * *

**TEN years of school, and NOW the teachers choose to tell us that there's a difference between American English and British English. How was I supposed to know!? It's ridiculous! And that's the reason I got read marks every time I wrote 'traveling' instead of 'travelling', because apparantly we were supposed to write British English. Wah!!**

**But now we're allowed to write American English, as long as we don't mix them. I think I do. If there's any experts on this out there, feel free to tell me if you notice anything and it's annoying you. I'll fix. **

**Other than that, I am _terribly_ sorry I haven't updated earlier. School sucks. Really. I was home like five today, and then I had dinner, and then I had homework and six thirty I had to get out because I had planned to work out with some friends. **

**Oh, how I miss the summer. Gah!!**

**I can't think of anything else to say right now. **

**I'll _try_ to update faster next time, but I won't promise _anything_. **

**

* * *

**

**UPDATE: I changed Ali's age because _everyone _commented on how immature she was. Well, that was the point, but since you hated it... now she's ten. OKAY!?**


	28. Gloomy day

**Let's see, yeah, it's been six days. Hm. I'm getting better, though...**

**I do not own Twilight, but I own Maia. Hah. That's more than anyone else does. **

* * *

"What's on fire?" a grumbling voice asked in my ear. I grinned into the phone.

"Are you sleeping?" I asked.

"_Yes_," Lena replied with a moan. I heard shuffling as she shifted in her bed. "What do you want? It better be important, this is… unacceptable…" she mumbled.

"I'm just _really_ bored," I complained, still smiling smugly for myself. I loved being 'mean' to people. It just made the world a brighter place.

"And I'm _really_ tired," she answered back. She whined something unintelligible before she suddenly gasped. And then there was a loud _thump_. "Ow!" she exclaimed.

"What was that?"

"Ow. The floor," she said offhandedly. "Never mind. I meant to call you, I have things to tell you. But since you don't have a phone and stuff, which you need to get by the way, it was kind of hard. I didn't want to talk to that Melissa-chick again. She freaks me out."

All traces of exhaustion were whisked away as she rambled on.

"Yeah, she's kind of intimidating. So, what's up?"

"Look, I told you about your mum and that model-guy, right?"

Yes, please, remind me of my pedophile mother. It's just the thing I want to hear about when I'm boring my ass of in a non-customer store.

"What's new?"

"Well, it's kind of a new one."

"New model?"

"No, not exactly." A crazy giggle escaped her. "I'm sorry, it's just kind of ironic. I mean, it's gross actually, but still. You know that smiling old guy from the corner shop?"

"Yes," I asked warily, dragging out the word.

"It's him." Another giggle.

I blinked and let my head fall into my hand.

"Please tell me you're kidding," I pleaded.

"Sorry, can't. It's the truth. And it's seriously disturbing to watch. At least the last time she deserved some credit for getting a young model, but this time it's just plain ridiculous. Really."

I made gagging sounds.

There was nothing wrong with Rudy (the old guy my mum was apparently dating) but he was sixty-five. And she was forty-six. And that was seriously grossing me out. No kidding.

"Are you sure they're not just friends? Maybe he's a good talker, or listener, whatever, and she needs someone to talk to after a nasty break-up –"

"And that involves sticking tongues into each other's throats?" Lena asked me, a tad smug.

"Ew!" I exclaimed. "Ew, ew, ew! I did _not_ need that mental picture!"

"It's the truth, don't tell _me_," she giggled.

"Excuse me while I puke," I mumbled, shaking my head. Why, of why, couldn't I have parents that had _normal_ relationships? With _normal_ people that were of the _opposite sex_ and the _same_ age.

_Says the girl dating a guy of different species_, I thought dryly for myself.

Okay, so being attracted to the weirdos might be a family-thing, but still. At least my guy _looked_ normal. Sort of.

"Can we please talk about something else?" I asked in a disgusted voice.

"Sure. Remember I told you about the guy that's here for the summer? Well, it turns out his mother's cousin once was on my father's best friend's soccer team. So I asked him if he wanted to come over."

"And?"

"And he did, and then he started to talk about his cat."

"His cat?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, apparently it died last summer. It got cancer. I didn't even know cats could get cancer, it's weird, right? Anyway, needless to say, I wasn't interested in another date – sort-of-date – but now I can't shake him off. He's super annoying, I'm serious."

"And you like it."

"_No_, It's annoying," she repeated.

She liked it. A lot. She liked attention, whatever way it might come.

"And Tony's back with Marlie. Can you believe it? It's ridiculous!" I laughed at her little, stupid problems.

"Did you get my package?" I asked to change the subject.

"Yes, and that ball-thing was amazing! It's right here. I'm having a lot of fun with it. Do you know what the box said? 'Do not put on fire'. I mean, how stupid can someone get? Like I would put it on fire, that would be really idiotic."

It was great to be able to talk to Lena about her stupid, casual problems. So that I could forget all the supernatural things, even the good things about it. To be honest, my life was so much easier before I set eyes on Embry, though I wouldn't trade it now.

Thinking of Embry, he had promised to come over here as soon as he could. Of course, with all that patrolling because of my vampire (yes, _my_ vampire. Everyone kept calling William _my_ vampire, and it was catching), there wasn't much time to spare. But we had planned a sleepover at his house.

I still envied him for having his own house. It just made him a lot more independent than me, and that was irritating. I wanted my own house, too. I mean, we were the same age and stuff, it was only fair that I got to live for myself, too.

I'd briefly suggested that for my dad and he laughed at me. Yeah, thanks for the support.

"I gotta go, someone's coming," I said hurriedly to Lena when I heard the door open. I hung up before she could answer. I stood on my tip toes, hoping to see the top of Embry's head over the shelves. It surprised me to see Gabe approach me… with Cara?

"Okay, okay, this is just hilarious," Gabe started before I even opened my mouth. Cara huffed behind him as he came all the way over, leaning on the counter. "See, I just found out that my brother is the father of your cousin's kid."

I stared blankly at him for a second, and then I snorted out a laugh.

"Seriously?" I asked. Gabe nodded with a huge grin.

"Weird, right?"

"So your brother is Christopher?" I asked, feeling the laughter bubbles grow in me. Kind of genius, this whole thing.

"Yeah. He's pretty messed up about it, says he feels really sorry. Since she's like sixteen and all," Gabe chuckled.

"You better keep him away from Paul, though," I smiled. "To say he's pissed would be an understatement."

"I can imagine," he said easily back.

"Can we go now?" Cara asked impatiently. Gabe rolled his eyes at me. Since he had his back turned to her, she didn't see it, but she still tensed a little extra. "Seriously," she huffed. "Chris is waiting."

"I need to get him his clothes," Gabe explained to me with a frown. "Too lazy to come get them himself, so I have to drive down to Forks, where he lives, and deliver them. Ridiculous."

"Yeah, life is tough," I smiled.

"Would be easier, though, if you'd only move your ass and go buy your own clothes instead of borrowing his," Cara spat. She looked at me. "Seriously. I've never seen him wear something that doesn't belong to Chris. He even borrows _underwear_, which is completely gross –"

"You're right, we probably need to get going now," Gabe cut her off, blushing slightly. Cara grinned smugly as she got it her way, like she was used to. Yes, she was kind of annoying. "I'll see you when I see you," Gabe told me, smiling a little embarrassed.

I waved my hand carelessly at them. "See you."

I could faintly hear their banter as the door closed after them again. What a strange relationship those two had. Close friends that fought like an old married couple.

The hours passed by slowly today, too. When it was six pm there was still no sight of Embry, and I started to worry. What if they found William, and fought him? What if someone got hurt?

I bit my lip as I looked out at the rain. It wasn't really dark out, but the clouds made it look gloomy and creepy. Embry had promised to at least be here now, so he could pick me up and then I was supposed to stay at his house for the night.

And I wasn't about to walk there. I mean, I might like walking, but anyone would be a little more on guard if they knew a scary vampire was on the loose in their town.

After another half hour my nails were almost non-existing.

Fifteen minutes later I had memorized thirty numbers from the phone book.

And ten minutes after that I learned that we were out of blue La Push t-shirts.

An then finally, the door opened, and Embry's wonderful voice boomed through the room.

"Maia?" he asked, a little uncertainly. I flung myself off the counter, running between the shelves and throwing myself in his arms when I got close enough.

"Thank God you're not dead!" I blurted out. He let out a short laugh and pulled me back to look me in the eyes.

"What did you do to your lips?" he asked, alert as he frowned.

"What's wrong with them?"

"They're bleeding," he told me, like that was obvious. My eye brows rose in surprise, and I pushed his hands away to go check in the mirror. I almost had to laugh when I saw he was right.

"Hah, you're right," I giggled giddily.

"What did you do?" he asked me. He looked worried as I started to wipe the blood away with some paper, and I smiled crookedly at him.

"Bit myself. I was worried. And there's thirteen people in Washington with the name John Johnson, did you know that?"

"Very interesting," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he took the bloody paper from my hands. He took my face in his hands (swoon) and examined me carefully. "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier. We thought we had him, but he got away. Again. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I said with a stupid grin. I was naturally enough affected by the tingly feeling of his hands on my cheeks. "I've only been worried for the last hour. I didn't want to walk to your house, so I just waited here –"

"What did you just say?" he suddenly interrupted me, his expression turning excited.

"What?"

"Say it again!"

"I waited here…"

"Before that," he said impatiently.

"I didn't want to walk?"

Embry closed his eyes and sighed with a content smile. He tilted his head back, like he was looking at the sky, and mumbled "It's like music in my ears."

I stared at him, amused, for a moment before I bent his head back and kissed him quickly. He opened his eyes again, his smile widening. I poked my finger at his chest and said seriously:

"You're really weird. Really, _really_ weird."

Embry rolled his eyes. "Ready to go?" he asked. He was still smiling.

"Yes," I answered instantly. I walked back, out of his hands (really hard for me to do that, but I did) and gathered my things behind the counter. Then I locked the store and we ran to the car. The rain reached to soak through most of my clothes only in those few meters, and I laughed when Embry noticed.

"Bring an umbrella the next time," I suggested, and he nodded, like he was going to remember that. I got even wetter when we ran from Embry's car to the house, and he led me upstairs immediately to get me dry clothes.

"I'd say you're overreacting if I thought it would help," I mentioned when he ushered me to the bathroom to change.

"If you get sick…" Embry mumbled, trailing off as he was too distressed to finish the sentence.

"Then we'll blame it on the weather gods?"

"Sure we will," he snorted, rolling his eyes.

I joined him shortly after in the living room, where he was sitting on the floor with several DVD-covers in front of him. He looked up at me and his mouth grew into a teasing smile. I had to smile back. I did look ridiculous with Embry's gigantic hoodie and sweat pants that I had folded up about a hundred times so that I could walk without tripping. But I couldn't really complain, I mean, they were _his_ and they had a wonderful, musky smell that I simply adored.

"Looks good on you," he said with a cocky grin.

"Yeah, yeah, you're only saying that 'cause it's your clothes," I replied and dragged the sleeves of the hoodie father up so I could see my hands.

"Yeah, duh," he grinned. He beckoned me over to him, pulling me to the floor in one swift move. "What do you want to watch?" I only got to open my mouth before he interrupted me again. "And no, Titanic is not one of the options."

I stuck my tongue out before I looked back down at the covers. "Don't you have anything but guy-films here?"

"Guy-films?"

"You know, action, thriller, horror. No romance?"

"What, were you expecting The Notebook?" he teased. I snorted.

"_No_."

"But I'd bet you'd like some of these. Hm. What about Die Hard?" he asked. I raised one eye brow. "Come on, there's some romance there, too," he told me, handing me the cover. I studied it carefully.

"It's –" I started, and Embry snatched it out of my hands.

"Great," he exclaimed and started to put it on.

"I didn't say –"

"You'll love it!" he cut me off, sending me a sly smile over his shoulder.

"But I –"

"Being open-minded always helps. Do you want popcorn or potato chips? Both?"

"Embry!" I laughed, throwing my hands in the air. He pushed the 'on'-button on the TV and turned to me. He kissed me on the lips and lifted me with him as he stood up. He placed me on the couch carefully.

"Wait right there," he said and hurried to the kitchen. "And don't change the film, either," he called just as I was about to do exactly that. I snorted and crossed my arms, but stayed where I was. Half a minute later he came back dropping different types of junk food right into my lap. I held back a laugh.

"How much did this cost?" I asked him.

"Nah, not very much," he brushed it off, plopping down next to me. His weight resulted in unbalance in the couch, and I flew up a little. Things fell off me, and Embry sighed, playfully annoyed.

"Blame yourself, wolf-boy," I grinned.

"Can't help it that I'm a heavyweighter," he defended as he picked up stuff from the floor. He put it in my lap again, and I pushed it to the couch next to me. "Stubborn," Embry mumbled.

"And that's me in a nutshell," I grinned.

By the time one of the German guy's neck was broken and everyone seemed to be flying down stairs, I had my hands placed firmly over my face. Embry was laughing at me, tugging at my wrists.

"It's just a film," he told me. Normally I never had problem with gross and scary films, but there was _blood_, which just made everything a little less acceptable.

"It's terrible," I replied, and Embry sighed. In one swift move he gathered both of my wrists in one hand and brought them down. He nudged my head with his shoulder to make me look in the right direction.

"I had to endure two hours of meaningless and cheesy love scenes, you'll manage," he said determinedly. I started out with pressing my eyes shut, but I got tired of it. So I ended up with watching the movie anyway, even when some of the scenes freaked me out.

And the end was worth it. That crazy guy's wife was really cool. I wanted to punch someone like that, too.

After having a popcorn war and flipping through channels randomly for about an hour, we were ready for bed. The thought of sleeping in the same bed as Embry didn't make me nervous. We'd done it before, in a much smaller bed, of course, and it wasn't like we were going to be _doing_ something.

I was sent to the bathroom first, and I hurried as fast as I could. Embry seemed just as impatient as me, because he rushed to the bathroom after me, like he wanted to get it over with as fast as possible.

I climbed into the gigantic bed and placed myself in the middle. I was surprised to see how much space I had. This really was an unnaturally large bed. Really. I had never seen anything like it.

A movement in the corner of my eye made me jump, and my head snapped to the window. It was dark out, almost black, and I could hear the rain beat against the windows and roof.

But there was nothing else there than darkness, and I was just about to turn back around when a face appeared there. It was pale, sculpted, and piercing black eyes stared right at me. He smiled slightly, cruelly.

My mouth fell open and my eyes widened. I shrieked loudly in fright and launched myself backwards, away from William. I threw myself all the way off the bed and I landed painfully on my back on the wooden floor.

Before I could pull myself together, Embry burst into the room, his eyes flickering wildly to me. He hurried to me, crouching down.

"Maia! What's wrong?" he asked hectically.

I couldn't speak, so I waved my arm towards the window, panting hard.

"What?" he asked. He was shaking in concern.

"He was there," I rasped out. Embry's eyes widened.

"What? Who was here, Maia?" he asked me. He took my arm firmly and hoisted me up to look him in the eyes. "Who?" he repeated wildly.

"William, I saw him, he was right there," I pressed out. I felt my eyes burn and realized I was crying. I gripped the fabric of Embry's shirt tightly and pulled myself closer, but he pushed me away.

"Stay right here, I'll be back in three seconds," he said flatly, battling my hands off him. I gasped when he leaped out of the room and disappeared. My eyes flew over the room, expecting William to magically appear in front of me and bite me.

I didn't know how many seconds passed before Embry was back. He came right to me, tucked me in under his arm and held me close. He had a phone in his hand, and he dialed a number quickly.

I bit my lip, trying to keep back the sobs. I knew I was acting stupid, nothing had happened. I had just seen him, nothing more. He hadn't even touched me. He hadn't been in the same room as me either. Embry and the other guys were chasing after him all day, but I freaked out just at the sight of him.

Still I clung to his arm, feeling that I couldn't get close enough to him. I needed the warmth and the feeling of safety it gave me.

Embry was speaking quickly into the phone, some of it too fast for me to catch.

"It was _here_," I think it was he hissed. "Right outside my window! How could you let it get that far?" Pause. And then a growl. "Didn't _smell_ him? How is that possible! We're all over the place! Yes, I know he's fast, but… I won't have this, Sam. He could have hurt Maia!"

At this he tightened his arm so that it almost was painful, but I didn't complain.

"I'm not leaving her. Not now. Send someone over here, _right now_," he ordered in a clear voice.

And then he hung up and threw the phone away. He took me in both his arms, bringing me onto his lap. I buried my face in his chest.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled through the tears.

"Shh," Embry murmured back, kissing the top of my head. "Nothing's going to hurt you."

"I know," I slurred, clinging even closer to him. When I calmed down enough to stop crying we went to the bed instead, lying down. We still held on to each other, which felt really good.

I didn't feel scared at all now, not when we were like this. I breathed out in contentment and even smiled to myself. Vampires weren't that scary when Embry was with me to protect me.

"Why was he even here?" I mumbled half asleep.

"I think he's just curios," Embry answered back. He was reluctant, I could feel it. He didn't want to tell me about vampires, I think he thought it would freak me out so that I would leave again. Yeah, like I would even consider that.

"About me?"

"And the pack."

"Why?"

"'Cause we're obviously his enemies, and he instinctively wants to kill us. And he wants to know how you fit into it all."

"Oh. Okay."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said with a little smile. His concern always made me giddy. I snuggled closer to him, and he tightened his arms. I let out a happy sigh and felt him kiss my neck softly.

That's how we fell asleep that night, happy, smiling, despite our worries.

* * *

**So... what do you think??**

**I'm _really_ sorry that I haven't updated earlier, I feel so mean. Loved your reviews, and I'm sorry I didn't answer them this time. I promise to do it next time!! If I don't, then I'll happily let you yell at me and call me whatever you'd like. Okay??**

**Okay, did anyone notice what Gabe and Maia was talking about? I'll give you guys a hint: '_that doesn't belong to Chris. He even borrows _underwear_, which is completely gross –"'_**

**And then, remember when Melissa said how she found the father? If you don't, reread chapter 19. **

**Yes, if you got it: DRAMA delux.**

**And I think I'm over my writer's block! Wohoo!!**

**DannieFreak gave me some advices, and I've been writing Paul/Rachel oneshots non-stop lately. Really helps. So, thank you for that!!**

**And to carter: Still don't have your adress. It didn't show, which is weird.. and I'm sorry I didn't answer the reviews last chapter, I forget. That's why you should get an account. **

**A lot of the reviews said that Ali seemed too young for her age. Well, that's the point. She's really immature and innocent. My inspiration is the little sister of a guy on my brother's football team. See, me, my brother, some of his friends and that girl, who was twelve at the moment, we were watching tv. And we were just flipping through the channels, and we found, well, porn. We quickly switched, of course, we only caught a glimpse, and we were like 'ugh'. **

**And she looked up, because she hadn't seen what they were doing, and she was like 'what!?' and we were like 'they were doing something gross', and then she gasped and said seriously 'were they kissing?'.**

**So, yeah, innocent twelve-year-olds do exist. **

**

* * *

**

**UDPATE: There's the whole thing about Ali, but like I said, I changed her age, now she's ten. So STOP COMPLAINING.  
**


	29. Labeled underwear

**Guess what...**

**THIS IS A CHAPTER!**

**IT REALLY IS!**

**I'LL STOP TALKING!**

**

* * *

**

Four weeks left, I counted. I bit my lip hard and my fingers slipped over the keyset on my phone. Maybe the calendar was wrong? I mean, could you really trust your cell phone's calendar? I didn't think you could.

Perhaps I really had five weeks.

But in the end I still had to leave.

I groaned and threw my phone across the room. It hit the wall, resulting in Embry's head popping up in surprise.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," I apologized. He looked at me, confused. He blinked a couple of times and then grinned. His head plopped back down and he stroked my arm.

"What time is it?"

"Two."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

He scrunched his nose, looking unhappy.

"I'm usually a morning person," he told me. I rolled my eyes. For some reason I didn't believe him. He rolled his eyes back at me and started to get up. "Time for food."

We ended up going to my uncle's house for breakfast. Though Embry's place was startlingly clean and neat he never ate in there, so there wasn't anything edible in the kitchen.

"I'm so jealous," I told him in the car. He turned to glance at me once (he never dared to look at me too long while driving after my stunt last week) and asked:

"Why?"

"I'd love to have my own place. Be my own boss, make and spend my own money. I hate it every time my parents keep buying me things, all the time. Things that I don't really need, things that other kids have to get themselves."

"Like what?"

"Well… My dad bought me a laptop. I didn't even get to choose which one. I mean, I didn't even know he would buy one. Everyone else was saving money to get one on their own and they were discussing which was better and stuff and I didn't want to say that I had one and I didn't want to show it to anyone and…"

"What a weird problem to have," Embry cut me off, sounding amused. I threw my hands in the air.

"I have the opposite problem of everyone else. I have _too much_ money, because I basically own my parents' money too." I paused. "But that's not the point. If I lived on my own I wouldn't have to care about stupid things like that. I would have _had_ to save money, not for new laptops, but for food. And for paying the rent."

"What's better with that? I would have loved it if my father bought me –"

"That's what I said; I have the opposite problem of everyone else. It's annoying. I just want to me more independent."

"_More_ independent? I think you're _too_ independent. You never do as you're told," Embry complained. I lifted my chin.

"A silent protest."

"_Silent_, yeah right."

"Oh, shut up. You know what I meant."

"I didn't –"

"Dad's here!" I exclaimed. As Embry turned into the drive-way of the house I saw dad walk out of the cab in front of us, looking tired. I clicked my seat belt off, making Embry gasp and slam the breaks.

"Maia! I haven't even parked yet!" he yelled. I smiled innocently to him and hurried out of the car.

"Where's Stephen?" I asked as I walked towards dad.

"He stayed with his parents," he answered. He gave me a short hug (I only hesitantly allowed this) before he let go of me and nodded shortly to Embry. Dad-to-boyfriend relationships were forever doomed to be awkward.

"Want some breakfast?"

Dad didn't stay very long, he just had breakfast, got the car and drove back. He didn't want to say much when I asked him about Stephen either, and to me it seemed as though they'd had a fight. I felt mean when it made me happy.

I couldn't stand Stephen or his creepy parents or their devilish mongrel, but I should want my dad to be happy. Perhaps with somebody else, though. I hoped he found someone.

In the afternoon Embry had to patrol. He left me with Rachel, for some reason thinking being with her was safer than being alone. Melissa ended up with us too. I was pretty sure Paul ordered her to or she probably would have stayed in that dark and messy hole of hers.

We positioned ourselves in the TV-room with a huge bowl of popcorn and "An Officer And A Gentleman" – yes… not Titanic this time – though we didn't really watch the movie. Melissa kept musing over a name for her kid.

"Charlie could work for both a girl and a boy. Or Tina for a girl. Elisa, perhaps. If it's a boy… Victor, or Oliver. Oh, imagine having a child named Oliver! Imagine having _twins_! Oliver and Tina. Oliver and Elisa!"

"Petrova and Dwarf," Rachel cut her off.

"Nada and Brando," I joined in.

"Sage!"

"Jezebel," I laughed.

"Ernest."

"Bentley –"

"If I had any of those names, I would have thought it was cool," Melissa cut us off stubbornly.

"Maybe not in high school, though," said Rachel.

"No, but for real. What's the most beautiful name you know?" she asked us seriously.

"Abigail," Rachel said quickly. "But don't steal that. That's for my future daughter."

"Laila," I replied.

"What a weird name," Rachel told me, and I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Stop joking, please, just for five minutes!" Melissa told us, annoyed. I covered up my laugh with a cough and looked away when Melissa glared at me. "What?" she demanded.

I shook my head. "Nothing. You just sound like a mother already. Little Dwarf will have a strict childhood –"

"My God, you guys are so childish," Melissa said, lifted her head and looked at us irritated. We both tried to stop our laughing. Ironic that the youngest one of us should be the more mature one.

We watched the movie for another ten minutes before a new round of chit-chat.

"What about the father? Does he have any suggestions for a name?" Rachel asked.

"Nah, he says it's up to me."

"Doesn't he want to be a part of it?" I asked.

"Well, yeah, he does. But he doesn't care about the name, he says. He'll love it anyway. Actually, I was thinking…" Melissa paused, blushing just slightly. "I thought that maybe I could name it Chris."

"Cheesy!" Rachel exclaimed, and Melissa threw a pillow at her. Rachel dodged it and smirked.

"I think it's a pretty name. If it's a girl I could name her Christina and if it's a boy, just Chris."

"Would be kind of weird, though. Every time you're calling for the kid to come in for dinner, it sounds like you're calling you're… boyfriend… husband… or just male friend, whatever."

"Irrelevant, it's a pretty name! And Christopher is sort of childish, anyway, so it wouldn't be a problem," she added with a small smile.

"Oh, someone's in _love_," I exclaimed, raising my eyebrows suggestively at her. She blushed even more, more than I ever thought she was capable of, and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not!"

"You are _too_," Rachel insisted.

"Am not!"

"Are too," I argued.

"Well, he's better than _Gabe_," she shot back. Strangely I could feel that sting in my chest. I quickly arranged my face.

"Didn't say he wasn't."

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't have said that a couple of weeks ago," she insisted.

"Irrelevant," I copied her.

"I mean, he's so stupid. Sure, he has the looks – like his brother – but come on. He's so dumb you can hear the echo when he's thinking."

I giggled.

"He is a bit weird. I mean, he barely has his own clothes."

"I know, Christopher said that. He borrows his clothes all the time."

"Which is weird."

"It is," Melissa nodded.

"You know Cara?"

"Hate her!" Rachel interrupted us. "She's so cold that I start shivering every time she's in the same room as me."

"That's the one," I confirmed, and Melissa laughed shortly. "Well, according to her, he borrows _everything_."

"Everything?" Rachel asked. "Like how?"

"Like literally _everything_. Yes, includes underwear."

"Ugh, that's totally disgusting!" she exclaimed, grimacing. She shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth. Half of them rolled out of her hand and down in the couch, and I picked one up and threw it at her. She grabbed another handful and threw it all at me.

"You didn't!" I laughed.

She nodded, smirking. "Yes, I did!"

I grabbed after the bowl as she unsuccessfully tried to hold it out of my reach. I showered her with popcorn and she threw the rest of the bowl at me and Melissa. Some of it ended up in my mouth, and I laughed and chewed it.

I looked at Melissa to see if she was going to join the fun, but she was sitting there frozen with a horrified expression on her face.

"Melissa? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Did your water break or something?" Rachel joked.

"No!" Melissa replied, not thinking it was funny. We both stopped laughing.

"What's wrong?" I asked her again, dragging myself closer to her on the couch. She looked into my eyes, biting her lip.

"You said he also borrows underwear?" she asked.

I nodded, a bit awkwardly; felt weird to talk about someone's underwear, really.

She held her hand out.

"Gimme your phone. Now!"

I clumsily dragged it out of my pocket and she grasped it out of my hand. She touched some keys and held the phone to her ear. I could faintly hear the ringing and then a familiar voice.

"Yeah?" it said.

"Gabe?" Melissa asked quickly.

"Melissa?" answered Gabe's voice a little more hesitantly.

"_Yes_, it's Melissa, you moron!" she hissed. "Answer quickly. Were you or were you not on that party in Liam's house a couple of months ago?" My mouth dropped in realization, and Rachel's did too. Melissa said she found the father because of the name labelled on the boxers. It couldn't be…

I couldn't make out what Gaeb said on the other end, but he obviously wasn't sure what to answer.

"Yes or no!" Melissa barked.

I heard him answer hesitantly, and then she hung up.

"Was he?" Rachel asked instantly. Melissa's eyes got blanker and her face harder as she nodded.

"I gotta go. Don't wait up for me." a really good relationship

She got up and exited the room.

"Melissa, Paul said –" Rachel called after her, but Melissa cut her off.

"I don't fucking care what he said. Tell him to mind his own business, and if he tries to follow mee, I'll scalp him."

I met Rachel's eyes, and we silently agreed to let her do what she wanted and not interfere. Not our business.

The rest of the film was watched in silence.

* * *

**Ah, I updated. **

**Feels so good...**

**I'm sure many of you have forgotten parts of the story. If you need some refreshing you could reread some of the chapters.**

**For the Melissa-pregnancy-thing: Chapter 6, 7, 8, 15**

**And for dad and Stephen I'll just give a summary:**

**Maia's dad, Eustace (I didn't like him in the beginning, so I gave him an unlucky name...) left her and her mother two years ago. They used to have a really good relationship and she liked her father better than her mother. But when he left and _married _a _man_ who is _years_ younger she found it easier to act coldly towards them instead of adjusting. **

**He kept trying to contact her, but she didn't want to talk to him and kept bullying him about being even visited her in La Push, but she didn't want to talk to him. Horton (Maia's uncle, Paul and Melissa's father) let him stay because of something that happened earlier. No one knows exactly what that was. Except for me. But I won't tell you, in case I need it to be a secret for later. Hah. I love being the writer.  
**

**Anyway. When Embry told Maia about the werewolf-thing she needed to get away, and therefore she joined her father and Stephen to visit Stephen's parents, insisting that she needed to spend some quality-time with them. There she was both attacked by a dog (she hates dogs) and she fell into the pool (she can't swim). **

**She stole the car in the night to go back to Embry. **

**But, while being with her father, they kind of made up, and they made a deal that if he could let her be the boss of her own life and not freak out over little things she would be willing to work with their relationship.**

**PHEW, that's it. **

**Hm, what else should I tell...**

**I'm not sure, but if there's anything you'd like to know, just ask. I owe you all to answer. **

**ATTENTION ALL REVIEWERS!!**

**I'm sorry that I haven't answered you all. I will from now on. I promise. I know no one is convinced by my promises anymore, but I promise that I'll try. **

**Merry Christmas to you all!**

**(got a new cell phone)**


	30. Loooooooong

**A super-long chapter for you guys:**

**

* * *

**

_He said son,_

_Have you seen the world?_

_Or what would you say_

_If I said that you could_

"Sounds pretty good," I mumbled.

Nobody – _no one_ – told me that there was a possibility that Embry wouldn't back before bedtime. And it was way past bedtime now. It was two am, and I hadn't fallen asleep yet. I was now searching the fridge for milk. There wasn't any.

I took a glass of water instead and brought it to my bedroom.

Rachel had camped on my floor. It kind of felt safer having her near, though if William came into this house, Rachel and I couldn't protect each other. But I wasn't very scared of that. I knew there was someone not far from the house watching out for him.

I stepped over Rachel and sat down on my bed, leaning my back against the wall.

What if I just stayed here, instead of going home after the summer? This room was probably always empty. What kind of guests did Horton have? I mean, besides his -girls. I shivered. What if any of them had been in here? Gross…

Staying here sounded like a dream. Would never work, though. I couldn't and didn't really want to drop out of school _now_, just to start here. And all of my friends. I had enough of them, even though I had some good ones here…

I missed Lena.

I kind of missed mum, but I could have lived without her.

I missed my cat.

I missed my room.

I missed my class.

I didn't really want to give all that up.

_She collapsed_

_With the flag in her hand_

_A flag white of snow_

I weighed that up with what I would miss here.

Embry.

Melissa.

Rachel.

Independence.

With that list in my head I wanted to stay here even more. It just felt… wrong. I couldn't explain why, it just didn't seem right.

But it was what I wanted! I wanted to get away from my overprotective, silly mother. I wanted a boyfriend, and to live on my own, get a job…

Maybe it just felt weird because it was unusual, new, unfamiliar… somehow.

I kept musing over this until I heard the door slowly open. My eyes widened and my heart automatically beat faster. Rachel woke up from her "sleep" and jumped to her feet.

The door opened all the way, and I saw that it was Embry. I breathed out in relief.

"Is Paul downstairs?" Rachel asked.

Embry nodded, and she left.

I dragged the earplugs out of my ears and threw the iPod away.

"You should be asleep," Embry mumbled, coming over to me. He sat down and I could feel the mattress sink.

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled back. I slid down on my back, sticking my legs under my covers and he lay down next to me. "If the bed breaks, you're to blame," I slurred. I was already getting sleepier. It didn't help when he slid his warm arms around me either.

"Sure," he chuckled back.

"Did you get him this time?"

"No, we can't find him. Maybe he left."

"Maybe."

"I doubt it, though. It doesn't make sense. First he was all over the place, and now there's no trace of him. Nada. He's vanished, but I can't see his motivation. _He_ doesn't make sense –"

"Embry?"

"Hm?"

"I'm tired. Shut up."

* * *

**Yeah, I lied, it's super-short. **

**Just posted what I had. It's not like anyone's gonna review, I don't think anyone even noticed that I posted the last chapter. I mean, since, I had these dreadful author's notes there before. Weird. Fanfiction is kind of weird.**  
**In this chapter she's listening to Hero Of War by Rise Against. I'm addicted to that song!**

**I don't have anything fun to day today. Review if you want to and can, not certain you'll be able to if you reviewed the author's note. **


	31. Drama de luxe

**New chapter already, wow I'm impressed!**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

"Maia! You are not paying attention!"

Rachel snapped her fingers in front of my face. I looked at her and she stared back dejectedly. I sat better up in the hard chair behind the desk.

"I'm tired. Go on, I'm listening."

She was complaining about how cranky Paul was about Melissa, again. I swear, all I ever heard about these days was Melissa. Melissa this, baby that, Gabe everything else... Anyway, Rachel wouldn't give Paul any details and he kept bugging Rachel to tell him, since nobody else did. Especially not Melissa.

"I can't tell him, of course, I've promised her not to. And what would he do if he knew about Gabe? He would kill that poor guy, that's for sure. And even though Gabe isn't on my good side right now I don't want him dead. He's a friend of yours, isn't that right?"

"Kind of," I replied.

"Anyway, he's really annoyed with me right now. He didn't even sleep in the same bed as me last night, but that's not bothering me. I can sleep without him there. I heard him tossing and turning all night, though. But it doesn't matter, I'm not offended. He was really clingy this morning. But I think he's going crazy."

"So much drama," I mumbled.

"I know, it's never quiet here. But I need to get going. Lunch is over in… ten minutes ago. Look at that." Rachel blew me a kiss and gathered her things. I half-smiled back in response and watched her leave.

Four more miserable and lonely hours in this stupid shop.

No one would visit me now, not after lunch. Melissa was busy whining in her room, Embry was patrolling, Emily was probably cooking and if Gabe came it would certainly just be awkward.

I saw him this morning when I was walking out here. (I wasn't walking alone; Embry was with me to make sure nothing happened to me. I mean, I could trip… he practically had me attached to his hip these days.) He gave me one short look and then pretended not to see me. Ridiculous. But, I mean, I kinda understood.

I wondered how Horton fed his family with his only earnings being from this godforsaken shop. I hadn't had one single customer all day. How was he going to pay _me_? _I_ needed the money. It's not like mum would pay my rent when (if I ever) I got my own apartment.

I started playing with some of the pens that were spread over the counter. I drew a heart on my hand and studied it. Hm. I'd really like a tattoo. Mum was against it. Perhaps dad would let me have one? I mean, I wouldn't get a stupid and immature one, with the name of a band or something. Something personal.

I found a piece of paper in one of the drawers and folded a paper box. I made another one, slightly bigger, and used it as a lid for the smaller one. I didn't have anything to fill it with, I realized.

I collapsed on the desk. My head smashed the paper box into a flat nothing and I groaned.

How could there be so much drama in one tiny, forgotten little reservation and I was _bored_?

I wondered if I should call Lena again.

But no. I wasn't in the mood for her right now.

Mum?

Definitely not.

Dad?

No.

I sighed.

Just than, as if on cue, the door to the shop opened. My head snapped up and I almost jumped up on the counter to see if it was a customer. Melissa revealed herself by calling out in excitement.

"I found the name!"

She rounded a corner around a shelf, barely missing a glass figure of a wolf, and sprinted towards me. I took a small step back in fear of being run over, but she stopped right in front of the counter.

"I know what I'm gonna call him!"

"The baby? Do you know it's a he?"

She waved that away with her hand, like it was an irrelevant question.

"I found the perfect name for him," she repeated, smiling so wide that the corners of her mouth almost reached outside her face.

"Okay, let's hear it then," I urged her, trying my best to sound enthusiastic.

"Edmund Blaise Walker," she squealed.

I failed to see what was so fantastic about that name, but I smiled widely back.

"Great," I grinned.

Melissa rolled her eyes.

"Well, _I_ think it's a wonderful name. Gabe does too," she added.

"I thought you didn't like Gabe," I asked her. I gathered up the remains of the paper box and threw it in the garbage.

"I didn't, but I don't really have any other choice than to like him. He _is_ Edmund's father, and I want them to have a good relationship."

"Great."

"And he really isn't so bad, once you get to know him. He's kind of shocked right now, of course, but Christopher talked to him, and now he has promised to take care of both me and Edmund," she continued.

"What if it's a girl?"

"_What_ if it's a girl? He'll still love her –"

"No, what are you going to call her if it's a girl," I corrected impatiently.

"Oh. It's not. I'm sure it's a boy."

"But _if_?"

She glared but replied: "Amber Christine. Anyway, in one way it's better this way, because Christopher told me he always had this dream of marrying a girl with the last name Sky and they would name their son Luke. Luke Sky Walker. Haha, so funny. I'm glad I'm not her."

I laughed.

"I'm glad I'm not their kid either. Poor guy."

"Have you talked to Paul?"

"Are you kidding me?" she asked astounded. "The last time I saw him Rachel had to restrain him from attacking me. He's lost it. I don't want to be there when he explodes."

"Rachel said that; he's like a ticking bomb, it seems."

"He really is."

"Is it always this much drama with wolves and vampires and babies around here?" I asked her.

"Yes, it really is. I wonder how it will be like if it turns out that Edmund is a werewolf. Then we'd have to tell Gabe everything. Wonder how he'd take it."

"Best not to find out?"

"Probably."

I checked the clock. Three hours left.

"Are you staying?"

"No, I'm going to Rachel to tell her about the name, and then Gabe and then I'm going to bed. This pregnancy-thing is messing with my circadian rhythm," she said unhappily and hurried back out in the rain.

Alone again.

Despite everything that had happened since I got here this summer I still felt like I spent eighty percent of my time alone in this dark little hole.

I needed a life.

Or a hobby. I could start knitting.

Somehow I got through another hour and I just had two more hours left. My new phone beeped, informing me that I had gotten a new text. I hurled myself over it, ecstatic for the proof that there were actually other human beings in this world.

It was just Rachel, though, asking me – no, commanding me – to meet her and Emily at the diner after work. I groaned. I had kind of planned to hang out with Embry tonight. Last night he had been patrolling but he had promised me that today would work.

I didn't hear the door open. I didn't hear any steps. I didn't even see him till he was leaning over the counter, staring into my face.

I lifted my eyes and focused on his.

With a gasp I jumped backwards and the phone slipped out of my hand in the process. He placed a hand around my wrist, pinning it to the desk and at the same time preventing me from escaping.

"Hi, Maia, long time no see," William said pleasantly. I stared at him in disbelief. My eyes wouldn't blink and I was unable to move. I couldn't even hear my heart beating. Maybe it had stopped?

William kept smiling at me, but not in a scary way; in a kind way. I knew I couldn't trust him.

"You're quiet. Nothing like last time, then you blabbered on like you didn't have a worry in the world. What's new?"

I managed to blink once but my limbs were still frozen.

"Oh, don't be like this. You look absolutely terrified of me. I haven't even threatened to eat you, have I?"

I gulped involuntarily and my eyes darted for my phone on the floor. No way was I going to reach that.

"I just came to talk to you, Maia," William continued in that freakishly calm, gentle voice. "You see, I've kept an eye on this… wolf-pack of yours, and it's actually quite interesting. Because you do know about them now, right? Not like the last time."

He looked at me, waited a couple of seconds before he went on.

"Well, anyway, I haven't really seen anything like this before. It intrigues me. I want to know more, I've always been kind of curious that way, so I've been watching you guys –"

"But they didn't find you," I blurted out. "You left!"

"Oh, she talks!" William exclaimed, throwing his free hand in the air and looking towards the ceiling.

I looked at my phone again, planning to at least try to reach for it. It was worth a shot.

"Stop staring at your phone, it's not happening," William said, still just as calmly, and I pressed my lips closed to stop myself from gulping loudly. "About what you said; I always kept a safe distance, of course. They're not as smart as they think, your wolves. I know they know how fast I am – faster than most vampires, if I may say so - and I'm not just a dumb animal, I plan where I'm going and when I'm going there. It really wasn't a problem."

He tilted his head sideways and flashed me a grin. His abnormally white teeth sparkled towards me and I instinctively pressed my eyes closed.

"Any other questions? No? Mind if I ask you some?"

I opened my eyes again. He had leaned in closer and I jerked backwards to get some distance between our faces. He placed his free hand on the back of my neck and forced me closer again. I didn't try to put up a fight. I knew it was useless.

"It's only fair, I answered your question," he urged me.

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked. My voice was just a whisper, and he smiled knowingly at me. I was staring directly into his red, red eyes.

At least he wasn't hungry. Was that a good sign?

"Your boyfriend; what's up with him? He absolutely can't stay away from you. It's more than love, I can almost _see_ the bond between you. What _is_ that?" William asked me.

I swallowed.

He got a little annoyed when I didn't answer and tightened his grip on my neck.

"Ow! Don't!" I shrieked. "I'll answer, but it hurts!"

As soon as the grip loosened I shot my hand towards the floor. I was so close, _so_ close, but then I was jerked straight over the counter. I pressed my eyes closed as I felt my back connect hard with the floor and winced in pain.

"Don't mess with me, Maia."

Williams voice was far closer than I liked it and my eyes popped open to find his face inches from mine. He was on top of me, pinning me to the floor easily. I was no match for him.

My right wrist, the one he had dragged me with, hurt. I didn't know what it was but it didn't feel good. William lifted my left hand to his face and my heart started beating hard in my chest. I struggled uselessly with him and he smiled a little bit.

He opened his mouth to say something more, but then I heard another bursting sound. After that it was all too confusing and quick for me to register. All I saw was something that looked like a giant hair ball coming closer. The pain in my wrist doubled and I suddenly flew through the air.

I landed on top of a bunch of books and other stuff from the shelves. Things seemed to explode around me and before I could focus my eyes one of the shelves fell over me, burying me so that I could barely move.

Then it was quiet.

* * *

**Yes. Yes, I am that mean. I _like_ it. **

**I am this mean because I have enough stuff to finish this chapter without leaving you hanging by only a finger from a cliff. I could explain to you everything that is going to happen, because I have it written and I hadn't planned to finish this chapter like this. **

**Why did I do it?**

**Because I CAN!**

**Mwahahahaha...**

**Anyway.**

**This chapter is like five times longer than the last one, so if _any_ of you _dare_ to say that it's short, I'll scalp you. **

**lalaland: GET YOUR OWN ACCOUNT! I easily forget to reply to anonymous reviews, though I did love yours. You want _more_ drama? I have trouble keeping up with what I already have! And I know what's going to happen now. I have a plan, which feels great. Thanks, though!  
**

**All of you others, I tried replying to all of the new reviews, but if I forgot someone, I'M SORRY! I LOVE YOU ALL! A LOT! I WOULD NEVER HAVE POSTED CHAPTER 31 IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU GUYS!**

**And imagine that I had planned for this to be a short story, not more than 15 chapters. Oh well. **


	32. I'm going home

**So, another chapter. **

**I don't own Twilight. I don't even like Twilight. I like werewolves.  
**

* * *

I didn't dare to move. Minutes went by and I kept waiting for a cold, hard and dead hand to grab me up from the floor and bite me. My hand wasn't hurting anymore. In fact, I couldn't even feel it.

I tried to gather my thoughts.

Was it Embry that had saved me? It had to be. I'd seen a fur ball; it was either him or one of the other guys.

What is William killed him? Would he then come back to me and eat me? Or make me a vampire? I didn't want to be one. Even if it would be nice to be super hot, like Melissa had described it, I wouldn't want to…

I waved away that thought. It was irrelevant. I needed to worry about Embry.

After a few more minutes I dared to move.

I tried to push the shelf of me, but it was a lot heavier than I'd though. And my strongest hand, my right one, was useless. Even though it didn't hurt I still couldn't use it. I didn't think much about that, not then.

I managed to tip it up from my body a few inches and then I used my bruised knees to push it further. After a lot of struggling I rolled away, and the shelf smashed back down on the floor. I suddenly felt ten times as weak as three seconds ago and collapsed towards the wall. My arms and legs fell limp next to me and my breathing increased.

Should I get away from here?

Was it safer to get as far away from this place as possible? It probably wouldn't matter. William would find me anyway, I knew that. I didn't want to get up either. I just wish I knew what was going on. How had he managed to get to me?

My phone!

I searched the room to see if I could spot it. Everything was wrecked. The shelves and all the stuff on them were spread over the whole floor, messy, broken. I couldn't even see the wooden floor anymore.

The counter was still in one piece and my phone should be behind it.

I started crawling over books, broken glass, t-shirts, caps and plastic. I found my phone where I'd dropped it. This part of the store had remained untouched so my phone was unharmed. But I didn't really want to call anyone with it.

Instead I curled up under the desk. It felt safer under here. If I couldn't see anyone no one could see me either. I knew this was untrue, but still.

If William came back I didn't want to go down without a fight. But what I wanted was a different case than what I was able to. I was shaking with fear and I felt heavy. I didn't think I'd hit my head but my eye sight seemed fuzzy, unclear.

My wrist had started to hurt again.

When I heard the door open a few minutes later I stiffened. I held my breath. Maybe – just _maybe_ – if he didn't hear me he'd think I went somewhere else. Maybe he couldn't smell me.

I heard his steps. Careful. Slow.

I heard an intake of breathe, and then:

"Maia?"

"Embry?" I squealed hopefully back without thinking.

He was in front of me in less than a second. I looked into his eyes and felt my insides melt. I relaxed, stopped shaking and even smiled a little.

Embry looked concerned. No, not just concerned, he was so distressed that he was almost shaking. He stretched his hands towards me and gently pulled me out from under the counter. Really, really carefully, like he was scared I would break into pieces if he touched me too hard.

His eyes went to my hand before he stroked some of my hair out of my eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked lamely.

I only nodded.

"Okay, good. I mean…"

His voice shook. I couldn't tell if he was sad or angry, maybe both.

"I'll get you out of here," he settled with. He started to drag me even closer to lift me up, but stopped when I spoke.

"Is he dead?" I asked. My voice was horse and strange.

"Yes. I got him this time." He hesitated a little. I was halfway into his arms so I leaned in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around me and held me _really_ tight.

"What did you do to him?" I asked. I wanted this hug to last longer. I didn't want to go out in the rain. I didn't care about the pain in my hand.

"Ripped him apart. Burned the pieces." Embry said this in a rough, angry voice that kind of startled me. He felt me jerk and held me even tighter. "He's gone now. Forever."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry," he added mechanically.

"Why weren't there anyone here?" I asked. I tried not to sound too accusing but a childish tone slipped into my voice. Like I felt I had been treated unfair. I hoped he didn't put too much into it.

"It wasn't my fault," he said quickly, and I had to smile. "I mean, I wasn't even close to here. Most of us were spread by the borders. We thought he'd left, you know? Paul was supposed to be here, but then he stalked Melissa and phased and stuff, so he didn't know when William came."

"You came," I encouraged. His voice had gradually turned more and more distressed, regretting, self-accusing. It was sort of cute. I liked having someone care this much about me.

"I came as fast as I could. I mean, I didn't know he was here, I just wanted to be close in case, and then I smelled him." He shuddered. "Does it hurt anywhere?" he asked me. He leaned back to look me over and I held out my right arm.

"A little in my hand. It's not that bad, though."

"Right. Let's get out of here, huh?" I nodded and he carefully swung me up in his arms. I smiled contently and liked feeling this safe. I couldn't look away from his face and I could tell he had his difficulties looking away from mine too.

* * *

"So, you fell on a bike?" Gabe asked sceptically.

"Yes."

"Whose?"

I should have thought my plan through. Who knew someone would ask questions now already? I thought I would get a few days head start, but no. I should have known Gabe would drop by. Typical him to make things a little more confusing and complicated.

"No ones," I mumbled.

I didn't look at him, but I guessed he was looking sort of puzzled. Where was Melissa? Why couldn't she, for once, win the good timing-awards and _save me_!

"I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now," I added before Gabe could ask more.

"Okay. When are you going home?"

I turned to look at him dejectedly. He stared back challengingly as he put a grape in his mouth. It felt completely backwards that I was cleaning the kitchen and he was just watching. _I_ was the one with a broken arm, wasn't I?

"What's up with you?" I asked, frowning.

"What?"

"You seem… angry. Bitter, really. What did I do?"

"I'm not bitter," Gabe disagreed childishly. I rolled my eyes and sensed him tense. "I'm not. Maia, I'm going to be a _father_. And I'm seventeen!"

"Well, it's not my fault," I shot back.

"I know that," he said sullenly.

"Then don't act like it is."

We didn't say anything before I finished putting everything dirty into the dishwasher. I stood up and looked at him, but then Melissa came downstairs so luckily none of us had to try and find something to talk about.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Gabe. That stung and Gabe's eyes turned sad.

"I just wanted to talk to you about the child," he said. His voice sounded like he was reminding her about it, and she didn't like it.

"It would be nice if you told me you're coming over. Mi casa isn't your casa yet!" I had to stifle a giggle over Melissa's bad Spanish. She glared at me. "Do you mind?" she said rudely. I held my left hand (my good one) up in surrender and left the kitchen.

I hurried back upstairs and into my tiny little room. Embry covered most of it. The bed was _way_ too small for him. It looked almost comical; he was so big but at the same time so cute.

I leaned over him and kissed him carefully. He kissed back, puzzled, and when he saw it was me he put his arms around me and pulled me onto the bed. Or, since there wasn't any space left on the bed, he actually dragged me on top of him, which I didn't mind at all.

"I like to wake up like this," he said happily when I pulled back a little.

"I'll have to ruin your morning," I said regretfully and pecked him on his lips once more.

"Can we wait? Five more minutes?" he begged. He probably had a clue on what it was already.

"Not really, no," I said, shaking my head. He wasn't pleased with this. He grimaced and started making room for me to lie on my back so we could lie next to each other (I imagined half of him outside the edge of the bed) and put a hand on my mouth.

I scowled.

"Five minutes," he said again. A little while later he removed his hand hesitantly. At least he wasn't a cheater. "Okay, shoot."

"I have to leave in two weeks," I said quickly. Better to just get it out. Embry's arms automatically tightened around me. It was almost painful, but I didn't say anything.

"Why?" he mumbled.

"You know why, Em. School, my mother, my friends, my cat. If it survived the summer. I can't trust mum remembered to feed him."

"You should get rid of that cat," he replied, touching my arm where Scramble's scratches still were vividly visible. I rolled my eyes at him. I wouldn't get rid of Scramble. I'd rather get rid of my mum. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"Of course not, school starts that Monday. And what would be the difference, anyway? I'll have to leave eventually," I reminded him.

None of us said something for a little while. My right, broken hand rested on his neck, and I absently played with a lock of his hair with my fingers. He was stroking my back, up and down, up and down. Made me almost sleepy, but mostly thoughtful.

I remember in the beginning, when Embry had scared me just by being there. Big, gorgeous, stalkerish. Now I couldn't understand how I could have thought those things about him. I had never felt safer than I did now in his arms.

I wondered why nothing else seemed important when I was with him. Right now I could easily have forgotten all about my mother and Lena and Melissa and Gabe and dad and everyone else. I could stay here for the rest of eternity. It was almost dangerous how delirious I got.

I imagined what it would be like if I never met Embry. If he didn't exist (what a gruesome scenario) I would probably be with Gabe. That would have gotten dramatic, though, with the baby and all.

If I had stayed home this summer, what would have happened then? Would none of us ever find out soul mate? Would we live the rest of our lives pretending to be happy with someone we tolerated and liked, but didn't love unconditionally?

That just felt… pathetic and unnecessary.

It was just because of an impulsive act on my side that we even met. Well, that, and his werewolf-genes were probably part of why we even got together.

"I've got it!" Embry suddenly exclaimed, jumping in excitement. I almost rolled out of the bed, but he caught me and we sat up. Once again the bed squealed under us, but we ignored it. "I know what we'll do! It's perfect!"

I knew what was coming, and my heart sank when I thought about how I would have to disappoint him. "Okay, tell me," I urged anyway.

"Move in with me," he said. He sounded sort of challenging. He knew I would protest, but he probably had arguments in his backhand for after.

"Embry, I –"

"Don't say no just yet," he cut me off, holding his finger up. "See, it's perfect; You don't have to live with your mother, it's obvious that you don't like her. None of us have to be lonely. Your father will have you nearby. I mean, sort of, when he's with that other guy's parents. Anyway, the pack won't fall apart because of me, and –"

"I know all that, but I just can't!"

"Why not?" he said pleadingly.

"Because, I have to go back to my mum and my friends and my school and everything. You know that!"

"But what about me? Us?" His eyes grew wider and he looked so lost and hurt that I just wanted to cry.

"Don't do this to me, Embry. It's not easy for me either."

That obviously stung him a little, and he apologized.

We were silent after that.

* * *

**Ah, my favorite part of posting a new chapter is this; Author's Notes. When I write this I have read through the chapter, corrected my mistakes (the ones I can see, I once again remind you that if you see any, please tell me!), and now it's the fun part. **

**Okay. I haven't been good with replying to reviews. I was at first, but then when I got them I just read them and went to bed.**

**I planned on answering them here, but my outbox is broken, so I can't see which one I already replied to. **

**Therefore, some of you will have two answers and some of you none. DEAL WITH IT! **

**Plus, only the ones with questions or things I want to comment will be answered. I'm sorry, I normally reply to them all, but give me a break; I'm sick. **

**Here it goes:**

**ILUVJACOBBLACK123: ****She's leaving! Mwahahaha, I love being the mean writer!**

**Simran Gal: Is unputdownable even a word?**

**.Lover.2009: I hate your laptop too! Maybe it's in a cult with my old laptop. It sucked too. Sucked hard. Don't let them know my new laptop! It rocks, seriously. And do you think I would hurt my characters? What do you think I am? Some kind of monster!?**

**: No... cookies? *input very, veeeeeery sad face here* And you call me mean...**

**laurazuleta18: They WILL KILL WILL!**

**DannieFreak: Fanfic-fan had a nice sound, you know. I liked it! AND IT WASN'T THAT SHORT! IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY CHAPTERS, DON'T TELL ME! GOD, I HATE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM! DOES THE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD SCREAM WHEN YOU READ THIS!? I HOPE IT DOES! MINE SURE DOES WHEN I WRITE THIS!**

**lovenotwarXo: I didn't make you wait for _ages_, just... a little while. Besides, it's only healthy to have something to wait for. Good for the character! **

**fluro-socks: YES, IT'S SHORT! AND YES, I'M OBVIOUSLY THE ONLY ONE TO LIKE THE NAME EDMUND! IT'S A PRETTY NAME!**

**Okay, that's it, I don't want to do this anymore. **

**EDMUND IS A PRETTY NAME!**

**Ow, my head hurst from all this shouting. You guys really make me passionate about my writing. **

**Okay, small update here: I've written a few one-shots about Seth and Ali, his ten-year-old imprint (yes, i changed her age, because everyone complained), and one of them is posted on a story named "Extras". There will be more, and I have also planned some for Rachel and Paul. **

**I'm not planning on starting any new LONG projects, like this one. PAIN. **

**So. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, apologies to the ones I didn't reply to, and maybe perhaps I'll be better next time.  
**


	33. K

**Really short one, just because I need to get started on the next one and I couldn't concentrate before I posted this. **

* * *

For some reason I wasn't very surprised when Gabe exited from Melissa's room the next day. I stopped in the middle of the stairs. His eyes widened when he saw me and he awkwardly came to a stop too. I smiled teasingly.

"It's not what you think," he spluttered defensively.

"What do you think I think?"

"You know. We didn't… you know," he repeated.

I rolled my eyes and went past him to the kitchen. "I don't really want to know."

"We didn't!" he exclaimed.

"Fine, I believe you," I hushed him. "Be quiet, people are sleeping."

"I am quiet."

"No, you're not. Sit down!" I ordered. He obeyed and sat down heavily on one of the kitchen chairs and watched me pour myself a glass of milk. "You want some?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I hate milk."

"Well, screw you," I mumbled.

"We didn't!" he automatically said, and I almost choked on my milk.

"Take a chill pill," I chuckled.

"Did I mention I don't really like you very much?" he said matter-of-factly. I raised my eye brow and he raised one back. I held my thumb up to him;

"Maybe we're related, not everyone can do that."

"What?"

"Do just one eye brow at the time."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Sucks for them. But I don't want to be related to you. Makes mine and Melissa's kid… weird."

"Ew, you're right. Let's talk about something else. Like what you're doing here?"

"We didn't do anything," he repeated.

"How can I trust you on that? You've obviously done something before. You're both too young to take things to this level. You're not making it better by constantly firing up this… this temptation, what if you were driven to do something like _that_ again –"

"Wow, hold on, missy," Gabe laughed, cutting me off. I tried to hold a straight face. "What about you and mister-creepy-30-year-old-steroid-man? You're not exactly slowing down the sensuality, are you?"

"That's very different," I argued.

"How?"

"Well… first, he's not thirty. And he's not on steroids. And not creepy, you're just a wimp. He's actually my age. Your age. Aha, you're jealous because he's hotter, more gorgeous and has muscles competing a body builder's – no, actually, there's no competition, he'd win – and yours are like…" I pretended to measure him in distaste. "… Donald's."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I really hate you."

"Sure you do."

"And you completely changed the subject. I'm even certain he shared your bed with you tonight. Am I right?"

My pride gave me no choice but to smile triumphantly and say "no". I was a good liar.

Until Embry ruined it, of course.

"I liked it much better when you woke me up with a kiss than waking up with empty arms," he complained. I groaned loudly and turned to glare at him. His smile told me he had been listening to our conversation. Couldn't he have chosen a different time to be teasing?

"Men. I don't need them," I mumbled and emptied my glass of milk. I pointed to Gabe; "But I'm not pregnant!"

"True," he allowed and smiled a little sadly.

"Can we go back to bed? I'm really tired," Embry whined. Like a little kid. But I couldn't say no. I already felt guilty for leaving him in… thirteen days. That wasn't very long. I wanted to enjoy every second I could have with him, and I was determined to do exactly that, no matter how tired I got of him.

So I nodded, and he hurried to me and grabbed my left hand eagerly. I nearly threw my glass in the sink, lucky it was plastic, and waved my free broken hand towards Gabe. It struck me that he looked exceptionally lonely all of a sudden.

I put that on a different shelf when I basically flew up the stairs being pulled by my arm and we both erupted in laughter when we reached the bedroom.

Later that day I decided it was time I called my mum. I hadn't talked to her for… weeks? Was it really that long? I did miss her, sort of. It was nice to hear her voice when she answered.

"Hello?" she asked, her voice sounding happy and pleasant.

"Hi, it's me," I chirped back.

"Maia? You're alive?" she joked. "What number are you calling from?"

"New phone."

"You didn't have to change the number, did you?" she asked, sounding almost offended. It was probably because she had no chance in learning my new number by heart before the end of the world, the dragon apocalypse that we were awaiting, according to Lena.

"No, but I did. Listen, I'm coming home in about two weeks, and –"

"You are? That's wonderful, Maia! I've missed you so much! We'll go out for dinner, just you and me, huh? Or we could go shopping, now that you're so rich. Have you been working a lot? Have you made any friends? Have you met any guys?"

I was sure I'd told her about Embry. She hadn't paid attention at all. Strangely it didn't affect me.

"Yeah, it's been great. So you'll come pick me up at the airport? I'll text you the times and stuff."

"Of course. I'll bring Rudy," she exclaimed. I grimaced. I wasn't that keen on meeting my mum's fifty-eight-year-old boyfriend, and I _had_ told her this too, but she obviously didn't remember that either.

"Perfect," I mumbled. "Bye, mum."

* * *

**I've started a new story on , it's called Far Longer Than Forever and has like... one hit... If you want to, go check it out. I'm trying to finish some of my own work. Or, I'm trying to finish _this_, which is hard enough. This might perhaps be my last long story on fanfiction. Or my second. **

**More of that in my last chapter, where I'm going to thank everyone who reviewed and stuff. **

**Still, thanks for following this story, I really feel like I've grown as a writer here.  
**


	34. Yes

**This isn't the longest chapter either, but it's longer than the last one. And the second chapter I've posted today, so if you skipped the last one, GO BACK. **

* * *

The day of my leaving came so much faster than I'd expected. Suddenly I was packing up my stuff for the second time this summer, this time full of regret and misery. I'd spent every second of my last week with Embry. Still the time had run away from us.

This morning I didn't know exactly where he was. Didn't he want to say goodbye to me? Maybe I had hurt him too much. Maybe he was avoiding me on purpose; maybe he had phased and run far, far away so that he didn't have to see me go.

Either way, my body felt even heavier than it would have had to when I pushed my clothes into my bag, forcing it closed. I hadn't brought very much. I remembered thinking this would be the most boring summer ever, regretting that I had chosen to get a job.

I remember meeting Gabe and Cara. I hadn't been able to believe my luck. I got friends my first day here. And they seemed to like me, and it was okay even though Gabe had a dog, and I really liked him. Gabe, not the dog.

And then the fright of seeing Emily's face.

And then going to that dinner. Embry had been so scary. I had just wanted to run away.

It hit me that I had matured a lot over the last two months. In the beginning I kept calling Lena and my mum all the time, telling them every detail of what had happened and what I thought and stuff. The smallest things intrigued me, shocked and surprised me, and every change was too much for me to handle. Nothing was too much now, it seemed. I felt as if I'd travelled around the world and seen everything and now I was finally going home.

I knew how painfully normal everything would be at home. I would sit in History class with only the memories of this summer. Pictures of the huge, brown wolf that was Embry flickered in my mind. The frightful and magnificent image of William was also there, making me shudder. And all the wonderful people.

I would miss Melissa, who despite all her bitterness and mistakes really wasn't that different from me. And Cara. I didn't really know why I would miss her, but she was also a big part of everything. I would miss Gabe's startlingly blue eyes and his boyish grin. We weren't meant to be, but he was a nice guy.

I would remember Rachel's controlling personality and smile. She even had Paul whipped. I would even miss Horton, confused Horton with the -profile.

I pulled my heavy bag downstairs. Horton looked up from his paper where he was sitting at the kitchen table. I had no idea where he had been the last few days, but I was glad to see him.

"Done already?" he asked. "It's… still four hours before we're leaving," he reminded me.

"I know, but I want to say goodbye first," I said.

"Where are you going?"

"To the shop, first. Then the beach and maybe the forest."

Horton shrugged his shoulders. "I think some people are coming over in a few hours, though. You should try to be back by then."

"Sure thing!"

I went out without my iPod. I wanted to absorb everything, the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere. I wanted to be able to describe it so vividly that the person I told it to would be able to imagine exactly what it was like, to understand what I had felt and thought without having to be her themselves or even see a picture.

I loved the way it felt when the rain fell on my face, drenched my clothes and made me completely soaked in only a few seconds. I smiled to the sky, tilting my head back. My shoes made splashing sounds when I walked. The cars that drove by didn't care that I was walking there, they drove directly into the ponds, splashing even more water on me.

This reminded me of my first day here. Dragging my bag with me in the rain, feeling miserable and angry that no one was there to pick me up. I didn't feel miserable or angry now. I wished I could turn back time; go back to the beginning of the summer in stead of being here now. Everything I had experienced, I would have gladly done it again, even the part with William, just to spend two new months here with everyone I had come to love. And Embry especially.

I tried not to think too much about him right now. I was supposed to memorize every single detail of this place. I could memorize Embry later, if he showed up again.

I arrived at the store, cold and wet and happy, walking in to the complete mess that no one had bothered cleaning up yet. Shelves and tabled were on the floor, souvenirs broken and crushed under them. I didn't know what Horton was going to do.

I went to the counter, sitting down on top of it. I stared at everything that was in here. Remembering. Thinking. Wishing.

After a while I walked back out in the rain and to the beach.

Everything looked different when it was raining, but it was still wonderful. It was foggier, wetter and greyer but great. I remembered being here with everyone and how everyone had been playing on the water, except me. I really should learn how to swim. I wished I had been able to join them.

This was also where Seth had imprinted on Ali.

This beach was magical in more than one way. I visited the place of the bonfire where I sat down. This was where Embry was about to kiss me but had stopped because I had turned my head away. I had only come because Cara and Gabe made me. I was supposed to make Gabe jealous but after that night I had started to get feelings for Embry too.

I stayed for almost half an hour and then decided I had to get going. I wanted to see some of the forest too. I wasn't going far, just a little bit.

The forest was, like the beach, magical. Maybe it was because I knew what happened here every day, what kind of creatures that ran here on a daily basis. But it was like the moment you stepped off the road a tickly feeling seeped through me, reaching all the way to my fingertips, making me want to dance around.

I walked for ten minutes, and then I was attacked from behind. I gasped as I rolled over the forest floor, feeling something heavy and hairy on top of me. I looked up to see a brown hairball on top of me. Its mouth was stretched into something that couldn't other than a wolf grin.

I laughed and brought my hands to the wolf's face, stroking the hair on his cheek.

"I'll miss you a lot," I told him, smiling. He made a sound but I had no idea what it meant. His grin seemed to fade, though. "Go be human again," I told him. He obeyed and the Embry-wolf disappeared from on top of me. About one second later it was replaced by Embry-Embry who pressed his warm body to mine.

"Where have you been?" I whispered. It didn't feel right to talk too loudly. I was afraid to break the moment, take away the magical atmosphere. He shrugged, blushing slightly.

"I just needed to run a little bit. I'm sorry I didn't wake you. I thought you'd sleep in."

"It's fine."

"I've thought about stuff."

"Oh."

"I think that maybe I'll live after you go. I mean, as long as I know you're safe and stuff, which I think you will be," he told me. He didn't look like he thought that, though, his eyes flickered over my face uncertainly.

"I can call you a lot," I suggested. I needed to do that anyway. It was painful to think about how much I would miss him.

"How often?" he asked.

"Every day?" That wasn't enough. I could see his eyes get all concerned. "Twice a day."

"More," he begged. I had to smile at his pleading puppy-eyes. "Please?"

"What about before school, lunch and after school?"

"But –"

"I can't talk to you _all_ the time," I said, trying to be rational. I wished I could talk to him all the time. All day.

"Okay," he said sullenly, followed by silence.

I began admiring his face, remembering it by heart. I looked at his deep, brownish eyes that I couldn't help but trust. Dark and mysterious, and right now, sort of sad. Then to his wide mouth which now was half-smiling to me. I touched his cheek with my fingers, trailing his jaw.

Then I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing him to me as tight as I could. I hid my face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent. I tangled my fingers into his hair, which had grown quite a bit long over the weeks. It was thick and soft. It felt like silk. Then I let my hands slide down his neck, over the part of his back that I could reach. The familiar feel of his warm, soft skin made me feel safe, made me feel like this was where I belonged. I smiled and it felt like I had butterflies in my stomach.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Memorizing you," I replied. I felt him smile into my shoulder before he pulled back. He looked down at my face, smiling for himself with twinkling eyes. I pulled him back down and connected my lips to his, holding on with my arms around his neck.

His arm came under my back and he held me to him so tightly that I almost gasped. I wanted to be closer, even closer than we already were. Which was practically impossible. I was pressed to him in any way possible. He seemed to be thinking the same.

Suddenly he pulled back, looking at me. He wasn't smiling now. He looked really serious, raising his eye brows questioningly.

I swallowed.

Was this the right time?

After a few seconds I nodded.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yes."

* * *

**This is not the last chapter, there'll be a couple more I think. And plus a thank-you-chapter. **

**Again, since I posted two chapters today, if you feel like you've skipped something then you probably have. Go back and read the last chapter. **

**I have nothing funny to say today, other than I've started a new story on . (Yes, I already said this, but I'm saying it again!) **

**I have the same name there as I have here and the story is called Far Longer Than Forever. There's a link on my profile. **

**Thank you all again for following me.  
**


	35. I'm fine

**Okay, here's the next chapter. I'll say it one more time, because I'm not sure anyone has gotten it yet, I've started a new story on fictionpress. Link is on my profile. **

**I threw in a little Embry POV for the first time. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

**Embry POV**

It had been six weeks since she left me. I was a wreck all the time, except for the three times a day that I spoke to her over the phone. It was a poor but effective comfort. At least I got to hear something that sounded a bit like her, but her voice was flatter than I remembered. I tried to convince myself that it was just the phone that made it that way. She was really fine.

The other guys were sympathetic, but they made fun of me as well. Like right now, Seth was supposed to have relieved me from patrolling _ten minutes ago_, and he still wasn't here!

Paul was "laughing" at me.

_I'm sure Maia won't die if you don't call her the second her lunch break starts_, he thought.

She might not, but maybe I would. For every second it felt like something died in me and I had no idea how I had lived through the last month and a half. It felt like it had been years since I last saw her.

I hadn't wanted to say goodbye to her. I still didn't quite understand why she had to leave. Didn't she want to be with me? Wasn't she as in love with me as I was with her?

_Shut up_, Paul groaned, tired of listening to me. I ignored him.

I thought back to the day when she left. Not the part in the forest, even though that was also something I thought about a lot... (Paul groaned) At the airport, when I watched her walk away after a final goodbye-kiss, I had to fight with myself so I didn't run after her. I just wanted to take her back home with me and keep her there forever. I wanted her to live in my house. It was small, but not too small. Maia didn't take that much space.

But I'd let her go because she told me that's what she wanted to do.

_You're whipped_, Brady told me, irritated. Well, he didn't know anything. He hadn't imprinted on anyone, so he really didn't have a vote in this. And I didn't care how whipped I was. I was actually proud of it.

I heard Paul hope Seth would come soon so that he didn't have to listen to me anymore. I growled. No one had ever taken Rachel away from him before. He hadn't had to live without her for _six long weeks_. No one had.

Paul was about to defend himself when Seth joined our conversation.

_Sorry, I was with Ali_, he apologized.

Right then I sorely wanted to hurt him. _He_ could be with Ali all he wanted (as long as her parents didn't know, they thought he was some sort of paedophile) because she _lived_ here. The least he could do was doing his duty and come when he was supposed to to ease _my_ pain.

I was back to human-Embry before I finished that thought and already by my house. I ran inside, grabbed some clothes and threw them on before I grabbed my phone and dialled her number so fast that the buttons on my phone were in danger of falling of. The next seconds felt like an eternity.

* * *

**Maia POV**

Coming home was just as bad as I had imagined it to be.

It wasn't just painful. It wasn't just that wherever I turned I saw something that reminded me of my summer and made my tummy feel heavy and my eyes sting. Sometimes I felt so resented and alone that I just wanted to sink into the ground, disappearing completely into nothingness.

When I got off the plane and met mum I thought it would be okay. I had realized how much I'd missed her over the summer and I really thought I'd done the right thing. Even Rudy wasn't that bad.

And I _had_ missed Lena's perfectness and energy. Seriously, she was like a Duracell-bunny, bouncing up and down the moment she saw me, declaring her eternal love and confessing how dull her summer had been without me.

School was horrible.

Before summer it had actually been a little more exciting, as exciting as school can be, because at least I could check up boys. I could talk to Lena for ages about who was hotter and who broke up with who and which one we'd rather have if we could choose freely. I hadn't been as crazy about it as Lena, but I enjoyed it sometimes.

I couldn't even do that now. Not that I wanted to. I felt myself getting sick just by the thought of it. Why would I ever want anyone but Embry? He was perfect.

"You're crying again," Lena told me, annoyed. I quickly looked away. I wasn't crying. "Seriously, what have you been doing this summer? You're not the same," Lena complained. I shrugged.

"A lot has happened," I replied a little icily.

"Whatever," she huffed. She then leaned a little towards me, lowering her voice. "Anyway, do you think Tony will ask me to be his date for the dance? I know he's been looking at me a lot. Do you think he likes me?"

I hardly cared about Tony.

"Sure. Why don't you ask him?"

"Because that's not how it works," she exclaimed dejectedly. She sat back on her seat, looking at me seriously. "The boy is supposed to take the first step," she explained to me like I was a little kid.

"That's not necessary," I objected. "I mean, I kissed Embry before he kissed me." Uh-oh. Shouldn't have said that. My heart did a double-take now that I had allowed myself to think about him, and especially this moment. The first kiss, it was so special and the memory so vivid that I could practically _feel_ his warm lips on mine…

"Well, that Embry-guy obviously isn't a normal human boy, because that's not normal." She didn't know how right she was. "And plus, he _did_ try to kiss you first, you just chickened out!" Oh, I had told her that. "Who are you going with, anyway?"

"What?"

"The dance," she reminded me, rolling her eyes like I was hopeless. Well, I was, in her eyes. "You see, I was stalking Tony" weird how she made that sound completely normal. "and he was talking to Matt, and then Matt said he might ask you out, and –"

"I'm not going."

"God, Maia!" she sighed. "He lives in _Washington_. I'm sure he's okay with you going to a dance! I mean, you could go with Matt as a friend. He's a good guy, and you've talked to him. Embry wouldn't mind."

"He would," I assured her.

"I don't think so."

"Well, you don't know him," I snapped back. She looked offended. "He really wouldn't be okay with that. I mean, I'm sure he would if I told him I really wanted to, but that would hurt him." I heard my own voice growing sadder with every word I said. I imagined his face growing sadder in time with my voice.

Lena stared at me back, softening up a bit.

"You're really into him, aren't you?" she asked.

I nodded. "I think I love him."

That's when my phone rang, and I immediately pulled it out of my pocket and hurried out of the cafeteria. I ignored Lena's annoyed huff behind me and couldn't get outside where it was quieter fast enough. I _needed_ to hear his voice again. I hadn't heard it since this morning!

"Hi," I breathed.

"Hey," he said back, sounding relieved. "I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. Seth decided to be an ass. How are you?"

Well, let's see.

I think about you all the time.

It feels like there's a hole in my chest and that a big part of it, you, is lost forever.

Whatever I see reminds me of you.

Today, when I had a glass of milk for breakfast, I remembered you in Horton's kitchen in La Push.

No one believes me when I say that I love you. They think it's a childish crush. I know it's a lot more than that.

I dream of you every night.

Rudy has a dog and neither he nor mum cares that I hate dogs.

I just want to come back and cry on your shoulder, but I can't because

a) I promised you I'd be fine

b) if I'm not okay, you're not okay and there's nothing we can do about it

c) this was all my idea, and I'm still to proud to admit to myself that it was a bad one

"I'm fine," I answered. "What about you?"

After a small pause he answered.

"I'm fine too."

* * *

**SEE!? I MADE HER LEAVE! BECAUSE I'M THE AUTHOR! WHICH MEANS I DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS! MWAHAHA!**

**Anyway, I won't make the ending sad. I'm not that kind of person. I like happy endings. **

**Did I mention we have too much snow here? I have to climb to get to the bus. And it's cold and wet. I swear, the whole town is in a state of emergency, they closed one of the entries to the train station because of the snow on the roof could fall down. The trains didn't go. People didn't get to school because the buses stood still. **

**It's ridiculous. **

**And, the olympics, I don't care. At all. All I know is that it keeps me up at night because my family watches it. Ugh. I'm so tired today. And I'm going to a dance tomorrow. I'm going to be dead...**

**Once again, feel welcome to check out my fictionpress-story. I know I'm saying this a lot, but I have on alert, on favorite, 16 hits and no reviews... so yeah. **

**Speaking of that, does any of you have stories on fictionpress? **

**1. I'd like to read your stories, so tell me!**

**2. The last few days I haven't been able to open documents in my document manager. Do you have trouble with that too?**

**And a few questions to everyone, because I need new books and new songs. So:**

**a) what's your favorite song(s)?**

**b) what's your favorite book(s)?  
**


	36. I know

**I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

"Have you always been that skinny?" mum asked me randomly at breakfast. I shrugged my shoulders and avoided her eyes. She didn't ask again so she probably didn't really care. That was a good thing.

Rudy entered the kitchen. I stared at mum questioningly, even though I didn't want to think about what he was doing here at this time of day. Mum moved uncomfortably and blushed a little bit.

"You weren't supposed to come now," she mumbled to Rudy. Rudy, being a monkey, smiled stupidly at me, finding nothing awkward in the situation.

I left the breakfast table and went to brush my teeth. I was waiting for Embry to call me. It was Saturday, which meant we could talk for hours if we wanted to. I would have called him myself, but lately he'd been patrolling a lot more. I think it made him forget, if only for a while. I mean, lately I'd been jogging a lot more than I usually did. Hiking was okay, but it didn't hurt as much as running. The more exhausted I got the more distracted I was.

Mum was right. I was skinnier now than before, and not in a pretty way. It's not that I didn't eat. It was part because of the running I think. I was just feeling… bad.

I got so excited when my phone finally rang that I stumbled over my book bag and books and clothes on the floor to get to the phone that was in the pocket of the jeans that I was wearing. Yeah, it looked ridiculous.

"Hi," I nearly shouted into the phone.

"Hi, I'm coming over."

My heart sank.

"Lena," I mumbled, trying not to sound too disappointed. Embry would call soon anyway. I knew that, and it should have comforted me, but I wanted to talk to him _now_.

"Yeah, I need to see your dress for the dance."

I sighed. "I'm not going," I reminded her.

"Of course you are. I already told Matt you'd go with him. He's looking forward to it. I mean, he's _really_ looking forward to it. He's like a little kid."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing," she snickered.

"Lena," I said warningly. "You said that if I'm going – which I'm not – that we're going as friends, right?"

"You're going. I'll be there in ten minutes."

She hung up, and exactly ten minutes later she barged in the door and hurried up to my room.

"Hi," she grinned.

"I'm not going," I repeated.

She huffed. "Stop saying that. And put a smile on your face. You look tired. You should sleep. Have you eaten anything?"

"Yes," I answered on her last question.

"Okay. What are we waiting for? Do you have a dress? Or do we have to buy a new one?"

"I'm not –"

"I don't want to hear it," Lena cut me off. She went to my closet, trying not to step in my mess, and opened it. An avalanche of clothes fell out, and she let out a surprised wince. She covered her face with her arms and turned to look at me when everything had fallen out. "You need to organize things," she informed me. I shrugged.

"What did you tell Matt?" I asked again, because I was honestly curious. I was sure she hadn't said anything about going as friends. I knew her too well.

"Don't worry, I didn't get his hopes up too much. I said that you liked him –"

"Lena!"

"I said that you liked him and thought that he was a cool guy and that you would very much like to be his date. I didn't say you _liked_ liked him. I didn't lie," she defended.

"What if he thinks I like him?"

"He does."

"_Like_ like!"

"I don't know what he thinks, but maybe."

"Lena," I groaned. "I really don't want to go!"

"He'll understand. And plus, I need you there. Tony is going with Marlie. I mean, I thought he was rid with her a long time ago, but she clings to him. It's so annoying. So I need you to distract her or something. I just think you should do it with style. And Matt is style."

"Matt is stupid," I mumbled.

"That's a childish thing to say," Lena chastised me. She sat down on the floor and started looking through my clothes. She found three dresses. Two of them I'd worn once and the third still had a price sticker on it. "Are you wearing one of these? This one's cute."

"You can wear it," I muttered. It was what she wanted, anyway.

"Really, you don't want it?" she asked. Faking. She would have worn it anyway.

"I don't want to be there," I complained. I collapsed on my bed. "I don't want to be with Matt. I want to be with –"

I forgot what I was about to say when my phone rang again.

"Is it him?" Lena asked. Before I got to answer she wrenched my phone out of my grasp.

"Give it," I protested, desperately, throwing myself at her. She giggled and said "hello" into the phone. I tried to grab a hold of her arm, but she pushed me away, leaning on me into the wall. I couldn't move very much.

"Embry, right?" she asked in a cute voice. "Yeah, Maia's right here. Yep. Yeah, I just have to ask you something first."

"Lena," I pleaded, but she shushed me.

"You see there's this dance –"

I managed to grab her wrist, and she quickly took the phone with her other hand and pinned my hand away. Because of my position my arms wasn't very powerful, so my attempts on freeing it were feeble.

"What I was about to say," Lena continued happily. "There's this dance, and a guy named Matt has asked Maia to go with him. Just as a friend. And she says she can't because of you."

I gave up trying to break free. He knew by now anyway.

Luckily Lena stood up, releasing me. She held my phone out to me, looking satisfied.

"He wants to speak with you," she informed me, and I took the phone away from her with a glare.

"I don't like you," I declared, and she winked and left the room.

"Me?" asked a _beautiful_ voice in my ear. I had to smile and instantly forgot how irritated I was with Lena.

"No," I breathed. "No, I like you. And I miss you."

"I miss you too. And it's only fifty-eight days till I'll see you again," he said, and it sounded like he was grinning. I missed his grin. I remembered it to make him look like he'd just told a joke. And his eyes would light up. He would look happy and young and kind and a little mischievous.

I laughed.

"You're counting?"

"Yeah," he replied, like this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Now about this dance…"

My tummy felt heavy again. Couldn't he just leave that? I silently cursed Lena. Sometimes she was just… gah!

"Just forget what Lena said. She just doesn't want to go alone. And Matt is an idiot. I don't like him like that, not at all –"

"Maia, if you want to go, you should," he told me, surprising me a little. I wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that.

"But I don't want to –"

"It won't hurt me, I'll be completely okay with it. And I know you don't think of him like that. I trust you."

My eyes started burning a little and I couldn't help but to smile. He must be telling the trust. If he said that I _should_ go to a dance with another guy when he couldn't even see me. I mean, I could do anything. I could kiss him (Matt) without Embry knowing, and he would never have found out, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Luckily I got nauseous only by the thought.

"Thanks," I whispered, and he chuckled. "That doesn't mean that I want to go. Dances are stupid."

"You don't think that. Dances are fun," he corrected me. "And you can have fun. You like to have fun. I think you should go if you want to."

"You think I should go?"

"If you want to, yes," he repeated, amused.

"I'm not sure if I do," I said hesitantly.

"I think you want to. I want you to have fun, okay? And I trust you, and I love you, and that's all you have to remember.

"I love you too," I hurried to say.

"I know."

* * *

* * *

**Those lines don't want to be erased. Grr. **

**Still haven't got anything funny to say. I'm tired of this story. And when I read the first chapters I wrote I feel nauseous. I hope I write better now. **

**But, I love all you reviewers. I'm sorry that I've been bad at replying to you. Really. I'm just lazy. And tired. I just want you to know that I love you all!  
**


	37. Ginger Midget Messes Up

Once upon a time there was a slightly careless ginger midget who was on a train. She was watching a movie called "Phoebe in Wonderland" on her computer. She only had one computer, and she loved it.

When there was about one hour left before she was home, she felt she needed to move around a little. She hadn't moved for hours. She decided to go to the bathroom even though she didn't really need to.

She left her computer open in her seat and asked the nice old lady next to her to move so she could pass.

When she came back she picked up the computer and saw that the screen was black.

"That's odd," she thought. The screensaver usually didn't come on this fast. Maybe she had used more time in the bathroom than she'd thought.

Anyway, she turned the computer on, and... what was that? Why was the screen all... colorful. Why couldn't she see anything? Oh no... It was broken! What had happened!? She had no idea.

The ginger midget was upset. The rest of the train ride she was sullen and sad and just wanted to cry. She listened to Linkin Park and Three Days Grace as loud as she could on her iPod. She ignored the old lady next to her. She couldn't sleep that night because she was so upset.

The next day she connected her computer to an external monitor and copied all her documents to a harddisc. She had to give her computer to the computer-dude at her school for him to fix it. He gave her a crappy old... thing she could borrow in the meantime and he couldn't tell her when she would get back hers back. Luckily she didn't have to pay anything.

She got home from school that day, tired of people and work and her bestfriend's boyfriend who was a jerk. She had been looking forward to continue writing on her story when she got home.

She connected the blue harddisc to her new/old computer and looked it up.

Then she discovered that the story for some reason hadn't been copied. Oh no! She had a whole chapter, it was finished, and she was supposed to post it on , but now that it was gone... and it was such a good chapter.

She couldn't cry. She was too upset.

**

* * *

**

**And THAT is why I won't update for a little while. I suffer too. **

**I won't rewrite the chapter. I don't know when I'll have my beloved computer back. I don't know anything! I think I'm going to die. **

**So... I'm sorry. **

**I would give you all a hug, but I'm afraid you'd all try to strangle me. **


	38. Gravity

**... And the ginger midget visited the japanese computer guy every day for almost three weeks. He kept saying he didn't know when she'd get it back and eveyr single time he asked her how she spelled her name. She secretly thought he had dyslexia. **

**In Math class one day she was busy doing, well, math. When class ended she looked at her cell phone, and the computer guy had called her three times and texted her once. **

**She sprinted to the third floor, forgetting that she was in the middle of a conversation with a classmate, and into the computerguy's office. He remembered her by now and took up her computer. He once again asked her how she spelled her name, and then he gave her her computer. **

**The ginger midget didn't let go of it for the rest of the day. **

**And she lived happily ever after.**

**

* * *

**

The days before the dance passed quickly. I had decided to go, not because I really wanted to, but because I didn't really have a reason not to go. Lena was super excited and she didn't even care that I didn't do anything special about my hair or anything extra with my make-up. She didn't even care that my dress went below my knees or that it was dark grey and not makes-my-eyes-hurt-to-look-at-red, like she had suggested.

She was dressed in the dress that I for some reason had bought once and never worn. A short, pink… thing. It looked like a ballerina-skirt. And it looked good on her, surprisingly. She made her eyes look dramatically dark and huge and her lips were the same colour as the dress. Her skin looked unnaturally tanned because of some sort of self-tanning cream she had applied. She shouldn't do that. She was naturally pale.

Anyway, I did not put a lot of effort into looking my best at the dance. I just wanted to come, see Lena dance with Tony, _maybe_ dance a little myself (just to have done it), laugh at the dateless younger girls who sat in the corner and went into hysterics every time a guy looked their way and then leave.

Lena's mum took about two hundred pictures of us. I felt that I looked like a zombie on most of them.

I had told Matt to meet me at the dance. I didn't want him to pick me up. It felt wrong. It would feel like a date, which it wasn't. If I ever were to go to a dance again I wanted Embry to be my date, and _he_ was the one who should pick me up, and then someone would take pictures of us, and then we would dance all night.

Nothing like tonight.

Lena's mum drove us to the door. I would have been embarrassed but not arriving with someone if this was last year, but not now.

Matt looked too happy when he saw me. He hurried to me and started to take my jacket off for me. I glared at Lena, and she shrugged with a small smile.

"Hi," Matt said.

"Hey," I replied in a monotone voice.

"Wow, you look –" he said when he looked at my dress. He pretended to not find the words, as if that was supposed to flatter me. He looked into my face with a crooked smile. I made a great effort not to roll my eyes.

"Where is Tony?" Lena asked.

"I don't know, with Marlie somewhere?" Matt replied, uncertainly.

"Yeah, we need to speak with Marlie. Or Maia does, right Maia?" she said, hinting "subtly" with her eyes. Matt looked at me for confirmation.

"Yeah. She's in my science class. We have a project," I said obediently. We had gone through this a million times. Lena had to make sure I sounded convincing, even though I didn't understand why. We only had to make Matt believe us.

We walked into where the dance floor was. There were already a lot of people there. We were late, sort of, but we had plenty of time. There were still three hours left. I would probably have to talk about science for most of that time. Poor Matt.

Then again, I didn't feel so sorry for him when he started to take my hand and pull me closer as we walked. It felt rude to pull it away. I mean, he just held my hand, it didn't mean anything, but I didn't like it. Lena found Tony and Marlie quickly, luckily.

"Do your magic," she told me and pushed me towards them. My hand slipped out of Matt's, and I felt relieved. I pushed people out of my way as I approached them. The music was kind of wild right now, and therefore people were wild. I was pushed and dragged and lifted off my feet and pressed in every direction, so when I tapped Marlie's shoulder I was a little exhausted.

Marlie turned around, looking confused when she saw it was me.

"Hi," I said, smiling. "I need to talk to you."

"Why?" she called to make herself heard above the loud music.

"Science," I said. Yeah, it was completely normal to want to talk about school stuff instead of dancing. And of course, I absolutely couldn't wait and talk about it some other time. It had to be right now. It was stupid. Pathetic. The things I did for Lena.

"Why?"

"The project."

"Right now?"

"Yeah."

Tony didn't look very happy with me. He actually looked _really_ annoyed. But Marlie, being the sweet girl she was, gave him a quick kiss and came with me.

Matt tagged along when we passed him and Lena. I ignored him and lead Marlie to a quieter place downstairs where we sat down and I started asking random questions about things I really had no idea what was.

"_Mono_ means _one_," Marlie said for the millionth time. "Like in _mono_logue, because that means _one_ person is talking, and _di_ means _di_alogue, because _two_ people are talking."

"I thought we were talking about science," I said and made myself sound utterly confused. Marlie looked at me like I was the stupidest person she'd ever met, took a deep breath and explained to me _again_:

"Monosaccharide is _one_. _Mono_ is Greek for one, it's not so hard to remember. When there's _two_ monosaccharides, we call it _disaccharide_. Because di means two. Get it?"

"Mono is one and di is two. But we can't call a disaccharide a monos-saccharide?"

"Why would you do that?"

"One mono, two monos."

"No."

"Why?"

"Just because," she said. Her voice was strained. I couldn't help but enjoy this. "Okay, so you get that mono is one and di is two. Poly means many."

"Many?"

"Yes, it's –"

"Why not three? Why make it so complicated?"

"It's not complicated." She smiled stiffly. She was about to snap. "When there's more than two, it's many. Okay?"

"Right. Wait, no!" Marlie's shoulders sank. "There's no such thing as a polylogue," I noted.

"Maia, let's dance," Matt exclaimed suddenly.

"That's a great idea," Marlie agreed. She got up and hurried away.

"But what about the rest of the saccharides? We're not done!" I called after her. I turned to Matt when I lost sight of her and shrugged my shoulders. "I guess we'll take it on Monday. Unless you want to –"

"No, I don't. Let's dance instead." He sounded annoyed.

"Fine," I replied. We went to the dance floor and gingerly held each other. He was still irritated and didn't meet my eyes. But it was okay. I didn't like him very much either. Instead I started counting the days till Christmas.

I closed my eyes and imagined being on the plane. I was restless. Couldn't sit still. When everyone started to get off the plane I didn't know how to move. I didn't control my arms or my legs, but I felt my legs move me forward and I saw my arms rudely push people out of my way. My legs felt shaky. My arms felt strong.

Then we got to the lounge and I could see him, smiling, waving, looking way too big among all those other people. And it felt like my heart exploded, but in a good way. Like it came out of its shell, like it finally reached its full potential after too many months of inactiveness.

Embry came towards me with steps too long and too fast to be human. People didn't look at him. They were too busy welcoming their loved ones. He only had eyes for me and mine were glued to him. It was like nothing else existed, like there were only him and I in this world –

"What are you doing?"

Matt's voice broke my perfect dream and brought me back to the sweaty dance floor. The disco lights blinded me and I was pushed from side to side by the people around me.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"You were just standing there, smiling."

"I was thinking about someone," I answered. I pictured his smile again in my mind and then something truly magical happened.

I glanced around me to avoid Matt's irritating glare. I saw the kids, dancing to the music. Everybody looked blue in the weird lights. Boys in suits and girls in dresses and pretty hairdos. Arms and legs and faces everywhere, blurry, moving fast though they seemed to move slowly. First I wondered if I was getting sick, but then I saw the _real_ smile, above everyone's heads. And it was even more beautiful than what I had imagined in my head.

"What are you staring at?" asked Matt, but I completely ignored him.

Embry lifted one hand and waved at me. I felt my mouth fall open and I roughly pushed Matt away. He stumbled to the side and I walked past him.

How could he be here?

I kept my eyes on him and kept walking forwards. No matter how much I was pushed and pulled I didn't stop walking. I automatically moved people out of my way.

Embry was just standing there and he kept smiling and his eyes were sparkling and welcoming and waiting and everything that I had missed. He was like a magnet, dragging me to him without moving. Like gravity.

I was pushed to hard from one side and lost sight of him for a second. Before I hit the ground and was trampled to death, Embry had my arm and he hoisted me up. He was right with me now. His hand on my arm was warm and familiar and safe and everything good.

I looked up in his face with my mouth still hanging open.

"How can you –" I started, but then I forgot what I was going to say. He smiled down at me, and his smile was sweet and happy, confident and at the same time bewildered and young and nervous. Why did I leave again?

I reached my hands up to his shoulders and pulled myself up. My lips met with his, and then everything was like it was supposed to be.

* * *

**I got my computer back. It's wonderful. **

**And then I got Maia and Embry back together. **

**And... it's raining. And I don't have more milk. **

**And I'm sick. And we have one week off school. But the snow is gone! Joy!**

**I'm too lazy to read through the chapter, so if there's any typos, tell me and I'll fix it. If I'm in the mood.  
**


	39. Start Writing

**Final chapter, everyone! Enjoy. **

* * *

"… and that right there, that's a star which is named… Pluto."

I giggled. "No, it's not. Pluto is a planet. Well, used to be."

"Pluto's not a planet anymore?" Embry asked.

"I hear you're up to date," I teased. I felt his arm tighten around me and smiled. I moved my head closer to his face but I still didn't look away from the stars. The grass was slightly wet under us, but we didn't really care.

"Okay, I don't know anything about astrology," he admitted.

"This is astronomy though," I corrected him.

"What's the difference?"

"There's a _huge_ difference. Astrology is horoscopes and stuff. And astronomy is… the real stuff."

"Real stuff?"

"Yeah."

"So you're saying that because you're Cancer and I'm Virgo doesn't mean the stars say we're meant to be together?" he asked.

I laughed. "You're Virgo?"

"Why are you laughing?" he said, poking my side. I pushed his hand away, giggling.

"Nothing."

We lay in silence for a minute.

"So, what do we do now?"

He didn't reply immediately.

"I don't know."

"Can I come back home with you?"

Suddenly my view of the stars disappeared and Embry's lips attacked my face. He kissed my lips and my cheeks and my nose and my hair and my neck and I laughed and laughed and laughed.

"Yesyesyesyes," he said and pulled back slightly to look into my eyes. I couldn't stop laughing and started touching my fingers to his face. I almost started crying but convinced myself not to. Crying at happy endings, or beginnings, was stupid.

I kissed him and pulled him down to me. Then I suddenly pushed him back.

"I'm sorry for –"

He pressed his lips to mine again, and I laughed and turned my head.

"I'm sorry that I –" He kissed me again. "Come on, let me finish," I giggled.

"I don't want sad things. We can be happy. I don't care that you left as long as you're coming back."

"And we'll live in your house?" I asked.

"Yes."

"And I'll go to school there?"

"Yes," he grinned.

"And get a job?"

"… yes?"

I squealed in excitement.

"And then we won't have to listen to parents all the time, or go to stupid proms, or be sad, or –"

"Yes, yes, all that," he cut me off.

"And we're moving… when?"

"When do you want to?"

I paused. "Can you stay here till Christmas?"

"I can stay as long as you want me to."

"You can?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

He grinned mischievously. I laughed.

"Sam didn't let you come here, did he?"

"Not particularly," he admitted. I poked his chest.

"You're so bad," I said with a smile.

"And you like it."

"Will he be angry?"

"I think mostly he'll be relieved. I haven't been easy to handle lately," he confided a little sheepishly.

I was about to reply when Lena appeared, wobbling on her feet towards us. She stopped, looking at us, seeming as she was unsure if it _was_ us.

"Maia, there you are! I've been looking for you! Who's that anyway? Matt wondered who the hulk is. And I guess I'm about to find that out, since he's obviously all over you." She paused. I couldn't make out her expression in the half-dark, but I suspected she looked a little sceptical. And she was analysing the whole situation.

Embry pulled back a little to look at Lena.

"Lena, right?"

"Yeah. I guess you're the guy I can never remember the name of. You're the big… scary dude."

"Scary. Right, that's probably me." I giggled quietly. "I'm Embry."

"Cool. I can't really see you right now. It's dark and I'm a little drunk, so… I just wanted to tell Maia that Tony is giving me a ride home."

"Okay," I said.

"And you'll get home on your own?"

"Yeah, sure. Maybe I'll walk home."

Embry chuckled and kissed me.

"Bye!" Lena sang.

"See you," I replied. I smiled at Embry again. It still felt like a dream that he was here with me. I didn't know how I had survived without him. "I don't think I really am sorry for leaving," I confessed.

"Oh?"

"Not like that," I smiled. "I am sorry for making you all zombie-loner, but I think I needed to get away too. You know what I mean?"

"I think you secretly just like tearing me apart."

I giggled. "Yeah, you caught me," I confessed. He grinned and suddenly rolled us over so I was on top. I squealed in surprise and delight.

"I think I have forgotten to mention that you look beautiful tonight," Embry told me confidently. I laughed.

"Thank you. While you, on the other hand, look as though you just came out of the jungle. Or from spinning around inside the washer. Or from fighting a lawn mower. Or - hey, stop!"

He had started tickling me again, rolling me beneath him so I couldn't escape. I battled at his hands knowing they were going nowhere and laughed loudly without caring who would hear or see us.

"I didn't mean it, you look absolutely stunning," I clarified and earned myself a kiss.

"I do, don't I?"

"Always."

* * *

"Embry!" I shrieked. I stumbled backwards and landed in a heap on the wet ground. The box filled with books landed next to me. Embry came from behind me and hauled me up by my arm.

"You're all wet now," he said, sounding like a little child who lost his ice-cream on the ground.

"It's not _my_ fault."

"I _said_ I'd take the heavy boxes. Take your bag or something. And go inside. And have a shower. Yes, do that, and I'll carry your stuff inside –"

"I want to help!" I insisted, picking up the heavy box again. My knees wobbled and Embry jerked the box out of my arms.

"Take a lighter one then," he said sceptically, looking me up and down, lingering at the wet and muddy spots on my clothes. "If you promise not to get sick."

"That's a ridiculous thing to ask someone to promise," I huffed. Then I smiled, stood on my tip-toes and kissed his lips quickly. "Get my books in before they die."

"Die? Books don't die. _You_, on the other hand, can get pneumonia, and die, or you can get –"

"I'm not listening to you," I cut him off and walked back to the car to get a bag of clothes.

Ten minutes later a car arrived. Rachel was the first to get out, and she practically attacked me and battled me to the ground.

"I knew you would come back, I _knew_ it!" she screamed, hugging me so tight that I couldn't breathe, but I laughed.

"Rachel, be careful," Paul said worriedly.

"Give it a rest, I'm only eight weeks in," Rachel disagreed. Yeah, she was pregnant now, which was absolutely perfect (not) since Melissa was in her, what, seventh month now, and she was irritated all the time, I didn't want to imagine how it would be when Rachel turned all snappy as well.

Paul, after helping Melissa out of the car, came and pulled Rachel off me, ignoring her when she protested and said that the baby was tough and that it would handle that. He gave me a short hug before Melissa hobbled over to me. Her hair, which had been dyed bright red before, now had its normal, dark brown colour again. She looked a bit tired, but besides that healthy, and the hugged me so tightly that I was afraid of crushing little Amber Christine or Edmund... something.

"I've missed you," I told her.

"Hey, don't get all weepy on me," she laughed. "I missed you too though."

"Maia, you have to come to Emily's for dinner tonight," Rachel told me eagerly. "Everyone wants to see you, and everyone wants to give Embry a hard time, and –"

"We're _so_ not coming," Embry said, coming out from the house. He looked at me, noticing that I was even wetter and muddier than earlier, and scrunched his nose.

"Hey Embry, kill my buzz, won't you? It's extremely charming," Rachel said sarcastically.

"I think we've earned an alone-night our first day here, together, alone, without _any_ interruption, and, alone," Embry said. I couldn't stop my smile.

"Aw, come on!" Rachel exclaimed. She turned to me. "Even Gabriel is coming –"

"Gabe," Melissa corrected in an irritated voice.

" – and he's been looking forward to see you for months!"

Embry put a protective arm around me from behind.

"She's mine," he said, and I laughed. "I meant I'm hers," he added quickly.

"Good boy."

About an hour later everything was inside and Paul, Melissa and Rachel had left. Embry ushered me into the bathroom for a warm shower, and when I came back downstairs he had prepared a cup of coffee for me.

"I know you don't like it, but…" He grinned.

I remembered the first time I'd been here, and it had been raining outside so I'd been wet to the bone. That time he'd given me coffee as well. The memories made me smile and accept the coffee without complains.

"I turned off my phone, so no one will call tonight. What do you want to do?" I asked. Embry smiled sleazily, making me giggle. I held up a finger. "Actually, I know what we'll do," I declared. I put the coffee on the table and hurried to the hall. "See, I brought this from home…"

Embry stood next to me as I dug into one of my bags and pulled out Titanic. He narrowed his eyes at the DVD-cover.

"I'll burn that some day."

"But not tonight. Come on," I said eagerly. I pulled him into the living room, but he stopped me before I reached the TV. With trained fingers he took the movie from me and tossed it on the floor, pushing me gently down on the couch.

"I think it's Embry's choice tonight," he said.

"Oh, that's what you think?"

"Yes. Or, I know so." He gave me a slow, lingering kiss. "What do you think?"

"I guess I can live with that," I replied, smiling crookedly before pulling him back down to me for another kiss.

_This_ was where I was supposed to be. This was where I started writing my own story. This was where I started living.

* * *

**Yeah, that's it. Finally done. That is 96 472 words, 38 chapters, 199 pages on Word (wow, that's annoying. One page short of 2 0 0) and 741 reviews from amazing reviewers whom I love. Really. I do. **

**I might write a thank you-chapter, if I'm in the mood, but not tonight. **

**Anyway, this looks like it is the last long story I'll write here on fanfiction. I might write shorter stories which I will post on the story "Extras", so keep an eye on that if you'd like. **

**It's been almost exactly one year since I wrote my first chapter of my first story here. It was supposed to be a Kim and Jared one-shot, but my first review, from InWayTooDeep, inspired me to keep writing. **

**I have started many stories and deleted them. I've learned a lot in the time I've "been" here. **

**Therefore, as I have mentioned before, I've written something of my own. You'll find a link to my profile on . I really hope you'll check it out. I promise I'll try my best there, as I have here. **

**Now I have one slightly weird short-story about a ghost who likes peace and quiet, and a longer story which only has three chapters on it yet. It's called Pieces of Me and is about Bianca, who knows a little bit too much about the werewolves in her town. I don't want to beg you to read it, (BUT DO READ IT) because I'd feel pathetic. It's not that bad, really. Give it a chance.  
**

**I'm getting all melancholy here. This isn't a sad ending. This is a happy beginning. Not just for Embry and Maia, but for me too. But I'll miss you all. **

**More about that if I ever write a thank you-chapter. **

**Until then (unless you read Pieces of me) good-bye.  
**


	40. nope, no chapter

**Nope**, this is not a chapter, even though some of you might have thought it was. This story is done. Finished. And I'm so happy that it is. The ending was pain-in-the-ass!

And before you ask, no, I am not planning a sequel. It won't help if you beg or fall to your knees and offer me all the money in the world. I won't budge. My word is final.

When that's said…

Writing this story, (and "No Way") has really helped me grow. Not only as a writer, but also as a person. Wow, that sounds deep. I feel I am now speaking like a priest… I'll come back to that later. Anyway, as a writer I think I have matured. I think my style of writing has improved, my vocabulary has expanded and plus, I know now a lot more about American school systems. Okay, that's not true, I've forgotten it all already. But I do know the difference between am and pm, and I would never have learnt that hadn't it been for fanfiction.

All of you who have subscribed or favorited or reviewed this story, you have all helped me getting to where I am today. I am more confident and experienced, if I can say that, than I would be if I hadn't spent a year on this site. Yes, it has only been a year. Feels like three to me. Or maybe even more.

Since day one you have supported me and cheered for me and you have been nagging for more and longer chapters and you have given me book advice, music tips… I mean, I'm so incredibly happy that I stumbled across this site. It's amazing. Where would I be without it?

I'm just rambling on.

Anyway, I think you reviewers deserve a special thank-you, but I am too lazy to track you all down. I have tried to reply to all the reviews, but, like I just said, I am LAZY. Therefore I will pick out some of you and write you a personalized thank-you here.

And it doesn't mean I don't love you all equally. You are all my heroes.

Elmo-'BiteMe'.-Cullen: WOW, nice name. Took me a few seconds to write down.

First, I'LL NEVER EVER WRITE A SEQUEL! But you already knew that is you bothered reading my speech above. Anyway, yes, I do love long reviews. To me quality comes is more important than quantity. I am so thankful for the 100-and-something words you took the time to write down for me. Love you too!

A.: Hello, faithful reviewer! I always like your reviews. Even if they're not the longest ones, they're always honest and to-the-point and formal but at the same time not so formal. Wow, I messed that sentence up. Thanks for reading my story and following it through.

: You're kind of scary, but I think I've told you that before. I don't always feel safe when you complain that the chapter wasn't long enough or that I updated too late etc. But you liked it in the end, so I think I'm safe.

DannieFreak: You're very honest. When everyone else says "gr8 chap" etc you always complain about something, and then I get kinda annoyed, but then I see that you're just being you and you're just being constructive, and it's okay. I'll miss you!

laurazuleta18: I like your funny reviews, they're short and sweet and, well, funny. I'll miss them. That's all I have to say.

Ginaaaa: Short, accurate… I like you.

entre la sombra y el alma : You're reviews are a little more formal than the others, in a way. It kind of freaks me out a little to read them, because I'm afraid of too much critique. But, a girl has got to have that too. Thanks for taking the time to read my story.

I just realized there's a bout fifty more pages of reviews, and there's no way I'm reading through that. I have a life, okay!

So I'll continue being mushy.

I really liked that when I updated chapters, I also gave everyone a resumé of what was going on in my life at the time, and everyone took the time to read that too. I missed that, and I have this weird heavy feeling in my stomach when I think about all the things you've missed. YES, all the things _you've_ missed. It's strange. It's like you're all my friends or something, and I want you to know things.

Well.

I don't want to stop writing now, but I think I'm getting boring. I can't think of anything more interesting to say.

Once again, _there will be no sequel_,** BUT**, this may not be the last you see of me. I have mentioned it before, but there's a link to some of my original work on my profile. I have a story started there, but it's not going so well yet. I think I'll try rewriting it. But you know it's there. Also, here, on fanfiction, I have a story called "Extras" and maybe sometimes I'll update it with short-stories and one-shots.

I will miss you all!

- miilla


End file.
